English top flight: 10 things to watch for this weekend
Garnacho versus Walker poised for a fresh encounter
Another northwest showdown may be on the cards as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is adapting well in west London after his close-season transfer from Old Trafford and demonstrated his skills versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto combined electric speed with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto required moving onto his right before lofting a ball across the goalmouth. His joyous moment with Neto, mirroring his prior embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, was a indication of the pace with which circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho faced Walker? During the youngster found the net for United during their FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (kick-offs GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to stopping Bournemouth's slide
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire transfer speculation focus due to a claimed £65m escape clause for his potential mid-season move, the gossip columns positioning him for promotion out of the Premier League's average tier. That is understandable for a attacker with a half-dozen strikes plus three setups who is pleasurable to watch. Still, Bournemouth occupy an tricky position, experiencing a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who enter with successive wins, while Bournemouth are down seven to one over two games in their previous two matches after an promising start to the season. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa however confronting a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game since August may prove the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for the national team
It was interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the national team window even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 next week. “Despite not having met him, I know what he could give me,” stated the England coach. “He might act as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite traditional centre-forward position.” Earning the final 42 England games several years ago, it's quite plausible that Welbeck might be on the plane for the World Cup assuming he is able to sustain his goal-getting performances. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes compared to any English player in England's top division this campaign with six and is keen to boost that tally when Brighton welcome Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3pm
The full-back required as creator and goalscorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has offered a measure of comfort to Fulham's inconsistent start. The 25-year-old, who returned to his youth team last year after five challenging years with Spurs, has emerged as a regular starter, driving down the left flank in the absence of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The issue? With two goals, he's also their leading marksman in the Premier League alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer in the last term, has scored once while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period due to hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who registered ten helpers last season. The Cottagers' upcoming four fixtures feature three of the best five and Crystal Palace, who have conceded just nine strikes in the Premier League this season. A threat emerges for a side that have built a reputation for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
5. Time for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool
The debate surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority in that game as they fell to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. The coach's side require a prolonged upturn to muscle into the championship chase from their current spot, plus a dramatic boost in performance, and opportunity arises as seven from their following ten top-flight fixtures against clubs at the moment in the bottom ten of the table. The risk is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to hand a defeat on their own turf to the title holders the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance versus direct play and quick transitions that is under scrutiny. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has not played in domestic action for a month following a groin problem when making his second consecutive start in four days in Europe win abroad. The striker came back as a substitute in Sweden's loss against Switzerland but missed the subsequent meaningless match against Slovenia to secure his availability for next year's World Cup playoffs. A caution in that match could have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
