English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this matchday
1. Garnacho and Walker poised for another encounter
Another northwest showdown may be on the cards when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The winger has started to settle at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his abilities versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His setup for Pedro Neto blended electric speed and a perfect along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield prior to dinking a delivery to the back post. His joyous moment with Neto, echoing his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a testament of the speed at which circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? When the Argentine found the net for United in the Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday half past twelve (all times GMT)
2. Semenyo vital to halting Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the complete gossip column treatment following a claimed £65m buyout clause for a potential January departure, the gossip columns positioning him for promotion out of the Premier League's middle class. It is predictable for a attacker with six finishes and three assists and is joyous to watch. However, his team find themselves in an awkward situation, having undergone a body swap: now it's the struggling side West Ham who arrive on successive wins, while Bournemouth are down seven to one over two games in their previous two games following an impressive opening to the season. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez during the heavy loss to Aston Villa however facing a backline that hasn't kept a clean sheet since August may prove the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The striker an outside option for England
It proved intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel mention Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton striker turns 35 next week. “Even without being familiar with him, I understand what he is able to offer me,” commented the England manager. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a very conventional centre-forward role.” Earning the final 42 England games several years ago, it's entirely possible that Welbeck may be on the plane to the World Cup assuming he is able to continue his goalscoring performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward has additional strikes over every other English performer in the Premier League this season having six and remains eager to add to that tally when Brighton host Brentford on Saturday.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
4. Sessegnon required as playmaker and goalscorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has brought a measure of comfort to Fulham's inconsistent start. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his boyhood club last year following five challenging years at Tottenham, has emerged as a consistent pick, driving down the left side due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? With two goals, he remains their leading marksman in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man last season, has netted once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of a surgical procedure. Additionally, Sessegnon being required to contribute as a creator replacing Robinson, who supplied ten setups last time round. The Cottagers' upcoming four matches take in three among the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine goals in the league to date. Danger looms for the club that have developed a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3pm
The moment for Alexander Isak to produce for the Reds
The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike in the match with Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they lost to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The coach's side require a sustained recovery to enter the championship chase from here, as well as a significant upturn in results, and a chance presents itself with seven from their upcoming ten top-flight fixtures facing teams at the moment in the lower half in the league. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a home league defeat on the champions the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's showing when facing long balls and counterattacks that is in focus. Now is the occasion that Alexander Isak to deliver in a Liverpool shirt. The big-money forward has not featured at club level over four weeks following a groin problem when making his second start in four days in Europe win in Germany. The striker came back from the bench in Sweden's defeat to Switzerland but missed the subsequent dead rubber against Slovenia to ensure his readiness for the World Cup qualifiers. A caution in that match could have suspended him. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
