Premier League: ten highlights to watch for this weekend
Walker faces Garnacho ready for a fresh encounter
Another northwest showdown may be in the offing as Burnley's Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho on Burnley's turf. The wide man is finding his feet in west London following his close-season transfer from Manchester United and displayed his abilities against Wolves before the national team interval. His setup for Pedro Neto blended blistering pace with a flawless grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved moving onto his right prior to chipping a delivery to the back post. His celebration with Neto, echoing his earlier hug with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, served as a indication of how quickly circumstances change. The most recent instance Garnacho took on Walker? When the Argentine scored for United in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.
Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon 12.30pm (kick-offs GMT)
The winger key to halting Bournemouth's slump
Antoine Semenyo is getting the complete transfer speculation treatment amid a reported £65m escape clause for a possible winter exit, the tabloids setting him up for graduation out of the Premier League's average tier. It is understandable from a winger with six goals and three helpers and is pleasurable to watch. Nonetheless, his side occupy an awkward situation, experiencing a form flip: now it's the bottom-half team West Ham who come in with successive wins, while Bournemouth have been beaten seven to one combined over their past two matches following an promising start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the four-nil loss to Aston Villa however facing a defensive unit that hasn't kept a goalless game in the league since the start of the season could be the best tonic.
Bournemouth versus West Ham, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
Danny Welbeck a surprise shout for the Three Lions
It seemed notable to listen to Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause even though the Brighton striker celebrates 35 soon. “Even without having met him, I understand what he could provide,” said the England boss. “He can be a stand-in for Harry [Kane] as a very conventional centre-forward role.” Gaining the final 42 England games several years ago, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be in the squad to the World Cup assuming he is able to sustain his goal-getting exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward boasts additional strikes compared to any English performer in England's top division this campaign having six and remains keen to add to that tally when Brighton welcome Brentford in Saturday's match.
Brighton against Brentford, Saturday 3:00 PM
Ryan Sessegnon crucial as creator and scorer
The Ryan Sessegnon tale has provided a degree of comfort to Fulham's inconsistent opening. The former Tottenham man, who came back to his youth team last year after five challenging years in north London, has emerged as a consistent pick, pushing forward on the left with the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The worry? On two goals, he remains their leading marksman in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Raúl Jiménez, their leading man in the last term, has netted a single goal while Rodrigo Muniz is injured for the long term due to hamstring surgery. Sessegnon is also being required to contribute as an assist provider instead of Robinson, who provided 10 assists in the previous campaign. The Cottagers' next four games feature three of the top five as well as Crystal Palace, who have let in just nine scores in the Premier League so far. Trouble awaits for a side that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.
Fulham vs Sunderland, Saturday afternoon three o'clock
The occasion for Alexander Isak to perform for Liverpool
The controversy regarding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort in the match with Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's inferiority during the match as they lost to a seventh defeat in 10 games. Arne Slot's side need a consistent improvement to enter the league contest from here, as well as a dramatic upturn in results, and the possibility emerges as seven of their following ten league games facing teams presently in the lower half in the league. The risk is evident posed by Nottingham Forest, the sole side to deliver a home league defeat to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's performance when facing long balls and fast breaks that will be under the spotlight. It is time for Alexander Isak to perform in a Liverpool shirt. The expensive signing has not featured for his club over four weeks having sustained a groin injury during his second appearance in the lineup in quick succession in Europe win in Germany. Isak returned as a substitute during Sweden's loss to Switzerland but was rested the midweek meaningless match versus Slovenia to secure his availability for the upcoming World Cup playoffs. A caution on Tuesday could have made him ineligible. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient
