English top flight: ten highlights to watch for this weekend

Garnacho versus Walker poised for another battle

A Manchester reunion could be in the offing when the Clarets' Kyle Walker confronts the Blues' Alejandro Garnacho at Turf Moor. The winger has started to settle in west London following his summer move from the Red Devils and displayed his talents versus Wolverhampton before the fixture pause. His assist for Pedro Neto mixed blistering pace and a flawless grounded ball. His build-up for Malo Gusto involved shifting infield prior to chipping a cross toward the far post. His goal reaction with Neto, mirroring his earlier celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a testament of how quickly circumstances change. The previous occasion Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the former found the net for United during their cup final win against Manchester City.

Burnley against Chelsea, Saturday afternoon half past twelve (kick-offs GMT)

The winger key to stopping Bournemouth's slide

Antoine Semenyo is receiving the complete rumour-mill focus following a claimed £65m release clause for his prospective January departure, the media setting him up for graduation out of the Premier League's mid-table ranks. That is to be expected for a winger with six goals plus three assists and is delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an tricky spot, having undergone a body swap: it is the relegation battlers West Ham who enter on back-to-back victories, whereas Bournemouth are down seven to one on aggregate in their previous two fixtures after an strong start to the campaign. Semenyo saw his attempt stopped from the penalty spot by Emi Martínez in the heavy loss to Aston Villa however taking on a defensive unit without a goalless game for months might be the ideal tonic.

Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday three o'clock

The striker an outside choice for England

It proved intriguing to hear Thomas Tuchel name-drop Danny Welbeck repeatedly during the national team window even though the Brighton forward reaches 35 in the coming days. “Without even being familiar with him, I know what he could offer me,” stated the England coach. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] as a very traditional striker position.” Having won the last of his 42 caps in 2018, it's quite plausible that Welbeck could be on the plane to the World Cup if he manages to sustain his goal-getting feats. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker boasts additional strikes over every other English performer in the top flight this season with six and is keen to boost that count as Brighton host Brentford this weekend.

Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday three o'clock

The full-back needed as playmaker and finisher

The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has offered a measure of warmth to Fulham's uneven opening. The 25-year-old, who rejoined his boyhood club recently following five tough years at Tottenham, is now a first-team fixture, pushing forward on the left with the injured Antonee Robinson. The issue? Having scored twice, he remains their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. Their main striker, their primary attacker the previous campaign, has netted once whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period owing to a surgical procedure. Sessegnon must also needing to deliver in a creative role replacing Robinson, who registered ten setups last season. The Cottagers' following four fixtures feature three of the leading five as well as Crystal Palace, who have allowed merely nine strikes in the Premier League to date. Trouble awaits for a side that have built a standing for consistency in the middle.

Fulham against Sunderland, Saturday 3:00 PM

The moment for The striker to perform for the Reds

The controversy surrounding Virgil van Dijk's chalked-off effort versus Manchester City failed to mask Liverpool's inferiority on the day as they fell to their seventh loss in ten matches. The manager's squad must have a prolonged upturn to enter the title race from their current spot, plus a dramatic upturn in results, and a chance arises as seven of their following ten league games versus sides presently in the lower half in the league. The risk is evident from Nottingham Forest, the only team to hand a loss at Anfield to the title holders the previous campaign, but it is not only Liverpool's showing versus direct play and counterattacks that remains under the spotlight. The moment has come for Alexander Isak to show up wearing red. The £125m striker has not played in domestic action over four weeks following a groin problem when making his second start in four days in continental competition triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt. He reappeared off the bench during Sweden's defeat against Switzerland but missed Tuesday's dead rubber with Slovenia to guarantee his fitness for the World Cup playoffs. A yellow card in that match would have suspended him. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient