English top flight: ten highlights to keep an eye on this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker set for a fresh clash
A Mancunian rematch may be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker is finding his feet with Chelsea following his off-season signing from the Red Devils and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed electric speed with a flawless low cross. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside before chipping a delivery across the goalmouth. His celebration with Neto, replicating his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of how quickly circumstances change. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? When the youngster found the net for United in their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Antoine Semenyo crucial to halting Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is getting the full gossip column focus amid a alleged £65m buyout clause for a potential January departure, the media preparing him for advancement out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is predictable for a winger with six finishes plus three assists and remains pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, his team are in an difficult position, having undergone a form flip: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who come in on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one on aggregate in their past two games following an strong start to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa yet facing a backline without a clean sheet for months could be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
3. Welbeck a surprise shout for the national team
It seemed intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause although the Brighton striker reaches 35 in the coming days. “Without even having met him, I understand what he is able to give me,” stated the England manager. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional striker position.” Having won the most recent of his 42 England games in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck might be in the squad for the World Cup assuming he can sustain his goal-getting performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes than any other English player in England's top division this season having six and remains keen to increase that count when Brighton entertain Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon required as playmaker and finisher
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought some warmth to Fulham's uneven start. The left-sided player, who came back to his boyhood club last year following five tough years at Tottenham, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he's also their top goalscorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man in the last term, has netted once while Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term due to a surgical procedure. Additionally, Sessegnon being required to contribute as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists last time round. Fulham's next four fixtures feature three from the top five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine goals in the Premier League so far. Danger looms for a side that have earned a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool
The debate regarding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they succumbed to loss number seven in 10 games. The coach's squad require a consistent improvement to force their way into the league contest from this position, along with a significant boost in performance, and the possibility emerges as seven out of their upcoming ten league games facing sides currently in the lower half in the standings. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing when facing direct play and counterattacks that remains under scrutiny. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to perform wearing red. The £125m striker has not featured at club level in a month after picking up a muscle issue while his second appearance in the lineup in four days in Europe win in Germany. He reappeared as a substitute in the Swedish defeat against Switzerland but sat out the midweek inconsequential game against Slovenia to secure his readiness for next year's World Cup playoffs. A booking in that match could have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient