English top flight: 10 things to watch for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho set for another clash
A Mancunian rematch could be in the offing when Burnley's Kyle Walker lines up against the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge after his off-season signing from the Red Devils and showcased his abilities versus Wolverhampton before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a ideal grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right before lofting a delivery to the back post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of how quickly things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? During the youngster found the net for United in the cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to halting Cherries' slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the full transfer speculation treatment amid a alleged £65m buyout clause for a potential January departure, the media positioning him for advancement out of the Premier League's average tier. It is understandable from a attacker with six finishes plus three helpers and remains pleasurable to watch. Still, his team find themselves in an awkward position, having engaged in a role reversal: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who enter with successive wins, while Bournemouth are down seven-one over two games in their last two games following an impressive beginning to the season. Semenyo had his effort saved from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa however taking on a defensive unit lacking a clean sheet since August may prove the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm
The striker a left-field shout for England
It proved intriguing to listen to Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the national team window despite the fact that the Brighton striker celebrates 35 soon. “Without even being familiar with him, I am aware what he could give me,” said the England manager. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional striker role.” Having won the final 42 England games back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be on the plane to the World Cup if he can maintain his scoring performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim more goals over every other English footballer in the Premier League this term having six and is eager to boost that count as Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon required as creator and finisher
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a degree of warmth to Fulham's uneven opening. The 25-year-old, who came back to his youth team recently following five challenging years with Spurs, has emerged as a first-team fixture, driving down the left side in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? With two goals, he is their top goalscorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their primary attacker in the last term, has netted once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is out until 2026 owing to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who provided ten setups last season. Fulham's upcoming four matches include three of the best five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded only nine strikes in the league this season. A threat emerges for a side that have developed a name for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The moment for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool
The debate surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they succumbed to loss number seven in 10 games. The coach's side need a sustained recovery to enter the title race from here, plus a significant boost in performance, and the possibility presents itself with seven from their following ten league games versus sides currently in the lower half of the table. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to deliver a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's showing when facing aerial passes and counterattacks that remains under scrutiny. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not featured in domestic action over four weeks following a groin problem during his second consecutive start over a short period in the Champions League win at Eintracht Frankfurt. Isak returned as a substitute during Sweden's reverse to Switzerland but missed the midweek inconsequential game with Slovenia to ensure his fitness for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A caution during the game would have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
