English top flight: ten highlights to keep an eye on this matchday
1. Garnacho and Walker poised for a fresh encounter
A Mancunian rematch could be in the offing as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet with Chelsea following his summer move from Old Trafford and showcased his skills against Wolves before the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto mixed rapid acceleration and a perfect low cross. His contribution for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield prior to lofting a ball across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his prior celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of the pace with which circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? During the former scored for United during their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (start times GMT)
The winger vital to halting Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete gossip column treatment following a alleged £65m escape clause for his possible January departure, the gossip columns positioning him for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. That is to be expected from a winger who has six finishes plus three assists and is joyous to watch. However, his side are in an awkward position, having engaged in a body swap: now it's the relegation battlers West Ham who arrive with consecutive triumphs, while Bournemouth are down seven to one over two games in their last two fixtures following an promising start to the season. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez during the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa but taking on a defensive unit lacking a shutout for months could be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The striker a left-field choice for the Three Lions
It proved notable to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the international break although the Brighton striker reaches 35 in the coming days. “Even without being familiar with him, I understand what he is able to provide,” said the England boss. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a quite orthodox striker role.” Having won the final 42 international appearances in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be selected for the World Cup provided he is able to sustain his scoring feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim additional strikes compared to any English footballer in the top flight this campaign with six and is keen to boost that total as Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon required as assist provider and finisher
Sessegnon's story has offered some warmth to Fulham's uneven beginning. The 25-year-old, who came back to his former side last year following five difficult years at Tottenham, has become a consistent pick, driving down the left flank with the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League together with Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker in the last term, has bagged a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as a creator replacing Robinson, who registered ten helpers last season. Fulham's following four fixtures include three among the top five plus Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine strikes in the league this season. A threat emerges for the club that have built a reputation for mid-table stability.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The occasion for Isak to perform for the Reds
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike in the match with Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to their seventh loss in ten matches. The manager's squad must have a consistent improvement to force their way into the championship chase from here, along with a major boost in performance, and a chance arises as seven out of their following ten Premier League matches against teams presently in the lower half in the standings. The danger is evident from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a home league defeat on the champions the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing when facing aerial passes and fast breaks that is in focus. Now is the occasion for Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The £125m striker has not featured for his club in a month after picking up a muscle issue when making his second appearance in the lineup in four days in the Champions League victory at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's loss to Switzerland but missed Tuesday's inconsequential game with Slovenia to secure his readiness for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A yellow card on Tuesday might have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
