English top flight: 10 things to watch for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker ready for a new encounter
A Manchester reunion could be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The attacker is adapting well at Stamford Bridge after his summer move from Manchester United and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a flawless low cross. His build-up for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right before dinking a delivery to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the speed at which situations evolve. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? When the former scored for United in their cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (start times GMT)
The winger crucial to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete rumour-mill focus amid a claimed £65m escape clause for a potential mid-season move, the media preparing him for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. This is predictable from a attacker with six finishes and three helpers and is delightful to watch. Still, his team find themselves in an awkward situation, having undergone a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with consecutive triumphs, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven to one on aggregate over their past two matches following an promising beginning to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa but facing a defence lacking a clean sheet since August may prove the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday three o'clock
Danny Welbeck an outside choice for England
It was intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times during the international break although the Brighton forward reaches 35 soon. “Even without being familiar with him, I know what he could offer me,” commented the England manager. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a quite traditional centre-forward position.” Having won the most recent of his 42 caps several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup provided he manages to continue his scoring feats. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes than any other English footballer in the Premier League this season on six and remains eager to add to that tally as Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
4. Sessegnon crucial as creator and scorer
Sessegnon's story has brought some warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The 25-year-old, who returned to his former side recently after five challenging years at Tottenham, has become a regular starter, driving down the left flank due to the injury of the injured Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he remains their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker in the last term, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is out for an extended period owing to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who supplied 10 assists in the previous campaign. Fulham's upcoming four games include three among the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded only nine scores in the league this season. A threat emerges for a side that have developed a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to deliver for the Reds
The debate about Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in 10 games. The coach's team must have a prolonged upturn to force their way into the league contest from this position, plus a significant boost in performance, and opportunity arises with seven from their upcoming ten Premier League matches against clubs at the moment in the lower half of the table. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a home league defeat to the title holders last season, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's display against direct play and fast breaks that is under the spotlight. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has been absent at club level over four weeks having sustained a muscle issue during his second appearance in the lineup in quick succession in continental competition victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. The striker came back from the bench during Sweden's loss against Switzerland but missed the midweek dead rubber with Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. A yellow card during the game could have made him ineligible. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
