English top flight: 10 things to watch for this weekend
1. Garnacho and Walker ready for a fresh battle
A Mancunian rematch may be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger has started to settle in west London after his close-season transfer from the Red Devils and showcased his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the national team interval. His key pass for Pedro Neto combined rapid acceleration with a flawless grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto required shifting infield prior to lofting a delivery toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of how quickly circumstances change. The last time Garnacho faced Walker? Back when the youngster netted for United in their Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
The winger crucial to ending Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire rumour-mill focus due to a reported £65m buyout clause for a possible January departure, the media positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. This is predictable from a attacker with six finishes plus three setups and remains delightful to watch. However, his side are in an awkward position, having engaged in a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who come in with successive wins, whereas Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games over their last two games after an promising start to the season. Semenyo was denied from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss by Aston Villa however confronting a defence without a clean sheet since August could be the ideal solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
3. Welbeck an outside choice for the national team
It proved interesting to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times during the fixture pause although the Brighton striker turns 35 next week. “Without even knowing him, I know what he can provide,” said the England boss. “He can be a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a very traditional centre-forward position.” Having won the final 42 international appearances back in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck could be selected to the World Cup if he manages to maintain his goal-getting exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim additional strikes than any other English footballer in the Premier League this season with six and will be anxious to increase that tally when Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as creator and scorer
Sessegnon's story has offered some positivity to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The former Tottenham man, who returned to his youth team recently following five difficult years at Tottenham, is now a regular starter, driving down the left flank with the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he's also their top goalscorer in the league alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is out for the long term due to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver in a creative role instead of Robinson, who registered ten helpers last time round. Fulham's upcoming four matches take in three from the best five plus Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine scores this season so far. Danger looms for the club that have earned a reputation for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they succumbed to loss number seven in 10 games. Arne Slot's squad must have a consistent improvement to enter the league contest from here, plus a dramatic boost in performance, and a chance emerges as seven from their following ten league games versus clubs at the moment in the lower half in the standings. The danger is evident from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to deliver a home league defeat on the champions the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's performance versus long balls and quick transitions that will be under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not featured for his club over four weeks having sustained a groin problem when making his second start over a short period in continental competition triumph in Germany. He reappeared off the bench in Sweden's reverse by Switzerland but missed the subsequent dead rubber with Slovenia to guarantee his readiness for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. He might be short of|lacking|deficient
