English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker ready for another battle
A Manchester reunion could be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The wide man is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge following his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and demonstrated his skills against Wolves prior to the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration with a ideal low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before dinking a ball across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of how quickly situations evolve. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? When the youngster found the net for United in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to ending Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire rumour-mill attention amid a claimed £65m release clause for his possible January departure, the media setting him up for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. That is predictable for a attacker who has a half-dozen strikes and three setups who is joyous to watch. Still, his team find themselves in an tricky situation, having engaged in a role reversal: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven to one on aggregate in their previous two games after an strong beginning to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss by Aston Villa but confronting a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game for months might be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for the national team
It was intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton forward turns 35 soon. “Even without knowing him, I understand what he could offer me,” stated the England manager. “He can be a reserve for Harry [Kane] playing a very orthodox striker role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 international appearances back in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be on the plane for the World Cup if he manages to sustain his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts additional strikes than any other English performer in the Premier League this term having six and is anxious to add to that tally when Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The full-back required as creator and scorer
Sessegnon's story has offered some comfort to Fulham's uneven beginning. The left-sided player, who came back to his former side last year after five challenging years in north London, is now a regular starter, operating on the left side due to the injury of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the league together with Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term due to a surgical procedure. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver in a creative role instead of Robinson, who provided 10 assists in the previous campaign. Fulham's next four matches include three from the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine scores this season to date. Danger looms for the club that have earned a standing for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
5. Time for The striker to deliver for Liverpool
The debate regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's deficiencies in that game as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The manager's team need a prolonged upturn to muscle into the championship chase from here, as well as a dramatic boost in performance, and a chance presents itself with seven of their next 10 top-flight fixtures against teams presently in the bottom ten in the league. The threat is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a home league defeat to the title holders last season, but it is not only Liverpool's display versus direct play and fast breaks that remains under scrutiny. It is time for Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The expensive signing has not featured at club level over four weeks following a muscle issue when making his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in continental competition victory abroad. The striker came back off the bench in the Swedish defeat by Switzerland but sat out the subsequent dead rubber versus Slovenia to guarantee his availability for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A caution in that match would have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
