English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a fresh battle
A Manchester reunion could be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man has started to settle at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from Old Trafford and showcased his abilities against Wolves prior to the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration and a flawless grounded ball. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right prior to chipping a ball toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a reminder of the speed at which circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho took on Walker? When the former scored for United in the Wembley triumph over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo vital to stopping Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full rumour-mill attention following a claimed £65m escape clause for a prospective winter exit, the media positioning him for promotion from the Premier League's middle class. This is to be expected from a winger who has six goals plus three assists who is joyous to watch. However, his team are in an awkward situation, having engaged in a form flip: now it's the struggling side West Ham who arrive on consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven-one on aggregate over their past two games after an promising opening to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss by Aston Villa but facing a defensive unit without a clean sheet for months could be the ideal tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside option for the Three Lions
It was interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break despite the fact that the Brighton forward turns 35 in the coming days. “Without even knowing him, I understand what he is able to give me,” said the England boss. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] as a quite orthodox No 9 role.” Earning the most recent of his 42 England games in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be in the squad to the World Cup if he can continue his goal-getting performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes than any other English footballer in the top flight this campaign with six and is anxious to increase that count as Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as playmaker and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided some positivity to Fulham's uneven beginning. The left-sided player, who came back to his former side recently after five tough years with Spurs, has emerged as a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left flank in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer in the league alongside Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer the previous campaign, has bagged once while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period because of hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who supplied ten helpers last season. The Cottagers' next four fixtures feature three among the top five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine goals this season this season. A threat emerges for a team that have earned a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The occasion for The striker to perform for Liverpool
The controversy about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they fell to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. The coach's squad must have a consistent improvement to enter the championship chase from their current spot, as well as a significant improvement in form, and the possibility arises with seven of their upcoming ten Premier League matches versus sides presently in the bottom half in the league. The threat is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the only team to inflict a loss at Anfield to the title holders last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing against long balls and counterattacks that remains in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The big-money forward has not featured for his club in a month having sustained a muscle issue when making his second consecutive start in quick succession in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned off the bench in Sweden's defeat by Switzerland but sat out the midweek meaningless match versus Slovenia to guarantee his availability for the World Cup playoffs. A caution in that match could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
