English top flight: ten highlights to look out for this round of fixtures
Walker faces Garnacho poised for a new battle
A Manchester reunion may be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet at Stamford Bridge following his summer move from Manchester United and demonstrated his abilities versus Wolverhampton before the international break. His assist for Pedro Neto combined blistering pace with a ideal along-the-deck delivery. His creation for Malo Gusto involved cutting inside prior to lofting a cross toward the far post. His celebration with Neto, mirroring his previous embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of the speed at which situations evolve. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? During the Argentine found the net for United during their Wembley triumph against Manchester City.
Burnley versus Chelsea, Saturday 12:30 PM (kick-offs GMT)
Antoine Semenyo key to ending Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is receiving the entire gossip column attention following a alleged £65m escape clause for a prospective January departure, the gossip columns preparing him for promotion from the Premier League's middle class. That is predictable for a winger with six goals and three assists and is joyous to watch. Still, his team find themselves in an tricky situation, experiencing a form flip: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who come in on successive wins, while Bournemouth have lost 7-1 over two games in their past two matches after an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the spot by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat by Aston Villa yet facing a defensive unit without a goalless game in the league since the start of the season might be the perfect tonic.
Bournemouth vs West Ham, Saturday 3pm
The striker a left-field option for England
It was notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton striker celebrates 35 next week. “Even without knowing him, I know what he is able to provide,” commented the England boss. “He could serve as a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a quite orthodox centre-forward position.” Having won the final 42 international appearances in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck could be on the plane to the World Cup assuming he can maintain his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker can claim more goals than any other English footballer in the top flight this campaign having six and will be keen to increase that tally as Brighton entertain Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock
Ryan Sessegnon needed as creator and scorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered some comfort to Fulham's bumpy start. The left-sided player, who came back to his former side recently following five challenging years at Tottenham, is now a first-team fixture, driving down the left flank due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? Having scored twice, he's also their leading marksman in the league alongside Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their top scorer in the last term, has bagged one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period owing to a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who registered 10 assists in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' following four fixtures feature three of the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have conceded merely nine strikes in the Premier League this season. Trouble awaits for a team that have built a reputation for solidity in the central positions.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday three o'clock
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for the Reds
The debate about Virgil van Dijk's disallowed goal against Manchester City did not camouflage Liverpool's shortcomings in that game as they succumbed to a seventh defeat in ten matches. The manager's squad require a sustained recovery to muscle into the title race from here, plus a major boost in performance, and opportunity presents itself with seven from their following ten Premier League matches facing sides presently in the lower half in the standings. The danger is obvious posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to inflict a home league defeat on the champions the previous campaign, yet it isn't solely Liverpool's performance against long balls and quick transitions that will be in focus. The moment has come that Alexander Isak to show up for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played in domestic action in a month having sustained a muscle issue while his second start over a short period in continental competition triumph abroad. The striker came back as a substitute during Sweden's defeat by Switzerland but sat out Tuesday's meaningless match with Slovenia to guarantee his availability for the upcoming World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card on Tuesday would have ruled him out. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
