English top flight: ten key points to watch for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho ready for another encounter
Another northwest showdown could be in store when the Clarets' Kyle Walker faces the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger is adapting well at Stamford Bridge after his summer move from the Red Devils and displayed his talents in the Wolves match before the national team interval. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a perfect low cross. His contribution for Malo Gusto entailed shifting infield before chipping a cross across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a indication of how quickly circumstances change. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the youngster found the net for United in the cup final win against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12:30 PM (start times GMT)
The winger crucial to ending Bournemouth's decline
Antoine Semenyo is attracting the entire gossip column focus amid a claimed £65m buyout clause for a possible January departure, the media preparing him for promotion out of the Premier League's middle class. This is to be expected for a attacker who has six goals plus three setups who is delightful to watch. Nonetheless, his team find themselves in an tricky position, having undergone a role reversal: now it's the struggling side West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth have been beaten 7-1 over two games over their previous two matches after an impressive start to the campaign. Semenyo had his effort saved from the spot by Emi Martínez in their 4-0 defeat to Aston Villa however facing a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game in the league since the start of the season may prove the ideal solution.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM
Danny Welbeck a surprise shout for England
It seemed notable to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck multiple times throughout the national team window even though the Brighton attacker reaches 35 next week. “Even without having met him, I know what he is able to offer me,” commented the England coach. “He might act as a back-up for Harry [Kane] in a quite conventional No 9 position.” Earning the final 42 caps in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck could be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goalscoring exploits. Once of Manchester United and Arsenal forward can claim additional strikes than any other English performer in the top flight this term with six and remains keen to boost that total as Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton versus Brentford, Saturday 3pm
Ryan Sessegnon needed as assist provider and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has brought a degree of positivity to Fulham's inconsistent start. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team last year after five difficult years with Spurs, has become a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left side in the absence of the injured Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he's also their joint-top scorer this season alongside Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their leading man the previous campaign, has bagged one goal while Rodrigo Muniz is unavailable for the long term owing to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also needing to deliver in a creative role instead of Robinson, who provided 10 assists last time round. Fulham's following four fixtures include three among the leading five and Crystal Palace, who have allowed only nine goals this season this season. Danger looms for a team that have earned a name for mid-table stability.
Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for the Reds
The debate regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's shortcomings on the day as they lost to their seventh loss in ten matches. The manager's side require a consistent improvement to force their way into the league contest from this position, plus a dramatic improvement in form, and the possibility presents itself as seven out of their upcoming ten league games facing sides currently in the lower half in the league. The danger is evident from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a home league defeat to Liverpool in the last term, however it's not just Liverpool's display when facing direct play and counterattacks that remains in focus. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver wearing red. The expensive signing has not played for his club for a month following a groin injury when making his second appearance in the lineup over a short period in Europe win abroad. He reappeared as a substitute in the Swedish defeat against Switzerland but sat out the subsequent inconsequential game with Slovenia to secure his fitness for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A yellow card during the game might have made him ineligible. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient