English top flight: ten key points to keep an eye on this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho ready for a fresh battle
A Mancunian rematch might be in store when Burnley's Kyle Walker faces Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The attacker has started to settle in west London after his off-season signing from the Red Devils and showcased his talents versus Wolverhampton prior to the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a flawless along-the-deck delivery. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield before dinking a ball toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his earlier embrace with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a reminder of the speed at which things transform. The most recent instance Garnacho encountered Walker? During the former found the net for United in their cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
The winger vital to halting Cherries' slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the entire gossip column focus amid a alleged £65m release clause for a potential winter exit, the tabloids preparing him for promotion out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is understandable for a wide player with six goals plus three assists and is delightful to watch. Still, Bournemouth are in an awkward position, having undergone a role reversal: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one on aggregate in their previous two matches after an promising beginning to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in their heavy loss to Aston Villa however taking on a defence without a goalless game since August could be the ideal remedy.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
The striker an outside option for the national team
It proved interesting to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck repeatedly throughout the fixture pause although the Brighton striker celebrates 35 in the coming days. “Without even having met him, I understand what he could provide,” said the England boss. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] playing a quite orthodox centre-forward position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 caps back in 2018, there is every chance that Welbeck may be selected for the World Cup assuming he is able to maintain his goalscoring performances. The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker can claim additional strikes than any other English player in the top flight this season on six and is eager to boost that count when Brighton host Brentford this weekend.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
The full-back required as assist provider and goalscorer
The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a measure of comfort to Fulham's bumpy beginning. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his former side last year after five difficult years at Tottenham, has emerged as a first-team fixture, operating on the left side in the absence of the sidelined Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he is their top goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their top scorer the previous campaign, has scored a single goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for an extended period because of a hamstring operation. Sessegnon is also having to step up as an assist provider in place of Robinson, who registered ten setups last time round. Fulham's next four fixtures take in three among the best five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in merely nine strikes this season this season. A threat emerges for a team that have built a name for consistency in the middle.
Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to produce for Liverpool
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies on the day as they succumbed to a seventh defeat over ten fixtures. Arne Slot's team must have a consistent improvement to enter the championship chase from this position, as well as a dramatic improvement in form, and a chance arises with seven of their upcoming ten league games versus sides presently in the bottom half in the standings. The danger is clear posed by Nottingham Forest, the single club to hand a defeat on their own turf to Liverpool the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's display against aerial passes and quick transitions that remains under the spotlight. It is time that Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The expensive signing has not played at club level in a month after picking up a muscle issue when making his second appearance in the lineup in four days in the Champions League triumph in Germany. Isak returned as a substitute in Sweden's loss against Switzerland but missed the midweek dead rubber versus Slovenia to ensure his availability for the World Cup qualifiers. A booking in that match could have ruled him out. The striker could be short of|lacking|deficient
