English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this matchday
Walker faces Garnacho poised for another encounter
A Manchester reunion may be in store as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his summer move from Manchester United and showcased his talents versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace and a flawless grounded ball. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before dinking a cross toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the pace with which things transform. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? When the Argentine found the net for United in the cup final win over Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger vital to ending Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete rumour-mill attention due to a alleged £65m escape clause for his prospective mid-season move, the tabloids preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's average tier. It is to be expected from a wide player with a half-dozen strikes plus three helpers and remains delightful to watch. Still, Bournemouth find themselves in an awkward situation, having engaged in a body swap: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 combined over their previous two fixtures following an strong beginning to the campaign. Semenyo was denied from the spot by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but taking on a backline without a clean sheet for months may prove the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Danny Welbeck a surprise option for the Three Lions
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times during the fixture pause even though the Brighton forward reaches 35 soon. “Without even having met him, I know what he can give me,” stated the England boss. “He could serve as a reserve for Harry [Kane] as a very orthodox striker role.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 England games in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be on the plane to the World Cup assuming he manages to sustain his scoring performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts a greater tally than any other English performer in the top flight this term having six and will be eager to add to that tally when Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon needed as creator and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a measure of positivity to Fulham's inconsistent beginning. The left-sided player, who rejoined his former side recently after five difficult years with Spurs, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The worry? Having scored twice, he is their joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their primary attacker in the last term, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon is also having to step up as a creator instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last season. Fulham's following four games include three among the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine goals in the league this season. A threat emerges for a team that have earned a reputation for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The moment for Isak to perform for Liverpool
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they lost to loss number seven in 10 games. The coach's side need a sustained recovery to enter the championship chase from here, along with a dramatic boost in performance, and opportunity emerges as seven of their following ten league games versus teams at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The danger is clear from Nottingham Forest, the only team to deliver a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool in the last term, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance when facing direct play and quick transitions that will be under scrutiny. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The expensive signing has not played at club level for a month following a groin problem while his second consecutive start in four days in continental competition win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's reverse against Switzerland but was rested Tuesday's dead rubber against Slovenia to secure his availability for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A booking in that match could have ruled him out. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
