English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this matchday
1. Garnacho and Walker set for a new clash
Another northwest showdown could be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The wide man has started to settle with Chelsea after his summer move from Manchester United and displayed his abilities versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield prior to lofting a ball toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of the speed at which things transform. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? During the youngster scored for United during their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (kick-offs GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to stopping Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire transfer speculation treatment amid a claimed £65m buyout clause for his potential January departure, the tabloids preparing him for advancement out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is predictable for a attacker with a half-dozen strikes plus three setups and remains delightful to watch. Still, Bournemouth occupy an awkward spot, experiencing a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter with back-to-back victories, while Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 over two games over their past two games following an promising beginning to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa but taking on a defensive unit that hasn't kept a clean sheet for months could be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a left-field shout for the national team
It seemed intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion throughout the international break even though the Brighton forward reaches 35 soon. “Even without knowing him, I know what he could offer me,” said the England boss. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] in a quite orthodox striker position.” Gaining the last of his 42 caps in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be on the plane to the World Cup provided he is able to continue his goalscoring feats. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts more goals compared to any English performer in England's top division this term on six and will be keen to add to that total when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon required as creator and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided some positivity to Fulham's inconsistent start. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team last year following five difficult years in north London, has emerged as a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left side with the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he's also their joint-top scorer in the Premier League as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker last season, has scored once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also being required to contribute as an assist provider replacing Robinson, who supplied ten helpers in the previous campaign. Fulham's next four games feature three among the best five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine goals in the Premier League to date. A threat emerges for a team that have built a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The occasion for Alexander Isak to produce for Liverpool
The dispute about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they fell to loss number seven over ten fixtures. The manager's side require a consistent improvement to force their way into the championship chase from this position, plus a major improvement in form, and a chance presents itself with seven from their following ten top-flight fixtures facing teams at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to deliver a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's display when facing direct play and counterattacks that remains under the spotlight. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The expensive signing has not played in domestic action in a month following a muscle issue when making his second appearance in the lineup in four days in Europe win at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back as a substitute in Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but sat out the subsequent inconsequential game against Slovenia to ensure his availability for the World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card during the game could have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient