English top flight: ten highlights to keep an eye on this weekend

Walker faces Garnacho ready for a fresh encounter

Another northwest showdown could be in store as the Clarets' Kyle Walker lines up against Chelsea's Alejandro Garnacho in Lancashire. The attacker is finding his feet in west London following his summer move from the Red Devils and showcased his talents against Wolves prior to the national team interval. His key pass for Pedro Neto blended rapid acceleration with a perfect grounded ball. His creation for Malo Gusto entailed moving onto his right prior to lofting a delivery across the goalmouth. His goal reaction with Neto, replicating his previous celebration with Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Højlund, acted as a reminder of the pace with which circumstances change. The last time Garnacho encountered Walker? Back when the youngster netted for United in the Wembley triumph against Manchester City.

Burnley vs Chelsea, Saturday 12.30pm (start times GMT)

Antoine Semenyo crucial to stopping Cherries' slide

Antoine Semenyo is getting the full rumour-mill attention amid a reported £65m buyout clause for his potential winter exit, the tabloids setting him up for advancement out of the Premier League's middle class. It is to be expected for a winger who has a half-dozen strikes plus three setups and remains delightful to watch. However, Bournemouth find themselves in an awkward position, having engaged in a form flip: it is the bottom-half team West Ham who come in on successive wins, whereas Bournemouth have lost seven to one over two games over their previous two matches after an impressive opening to the campaign. Semenyo was denied on the penalty by Emi Martínez in their four-nil loss to Aston Villa yet confronting a backline lacking a shutout for months might be the best tonic.

Bournemouth against West Ham, Saturday three o'clock

Danny Welbeck a left-field choice for England

It was notable to hear Thomas Tuchel reference Danny Welbeck on more than one occasion during the fixture pause despite the fact that the Brighton forward celebrates 35 soon. “Even without knowing him, I am aware what he is able to offer me,” commented the England manager. “He could serve as a back-up for Harry [Kane] playing a very traditional striker position.” Gaining the most recent of his 42 England games back in 2018, it's entirely possible that Welbeck might be on the plane for the World Cup assuming he manages to maintain his goalscoring exploits. The ex- Manchester United and Arsenal forward has more goals than any other English performer in England's top division this term having six and will be keen to boost that count when Brighton host Brentford in Saturday's match.

Brighton vs Brentford, Saturday afternoon 3pm

4. Sessegnon needed as creator and finisher

The narrative around Ryan Sessegnon has provided a measure of warmth to Fulham's bumpy opening. The left-sided player, who rejoined his youth team recently after five difficult years in north London, has become a regular starter, pushing forward on the left flank due to the injury of the unavailable Antonee Robinson. The concern? On two goals, he is their joint-top scorer in the league as well as Harry Wilson. The Mexican striker, their top scorer the previous campaign, has scored one goal whereas Rodrigo Muniz is injured for an extended period because of hamstring surgery. Additionally, Sessegnon having to step up as a creator in place of Robinson, who registered 10 assists last season. Fulham's next four matches include three among the best five and Crystal Palace, who have let in only nine scores this season this season. Trouble awaits for a team that have built a reputation for solidity in the central positions.

Fulham versus Sunderland, Saturday afternoon 3:00 PM

The moment for Isak to produce for the Merseyside club

The dispute surrounding Virgil van Dijk's ruled-out strike against Manchester City could not hide Liverpool's deficiencies during the match as they fell to their seventh loss over ten fixtures. The manager's team require a sustained recovery to enter the championship chase from their current spot, as well as a dramatic boost in performance, and a chance arises as seven of their following ten Premier League matches versus clubs at the moment in the bottom half in the standings. The risk is clear from Nottingham Forest, the sole side to inflict a loss at Anfield to Liverpool the previous campaign, however it's not just Liverpool's showing versus direct play and counterattacks that will be in focus. It is time for Alexander Isak to deliver for Liverpool. The big-money forward has not played in domestic action for a month after picking up a groin problem while his second consecutive start over a short period in continental competition victory abroad. Isak returned off the bench in Sweden's loss to Switzerland but missed Tuesday's inconsequential game versus Slovenia to ensure his readiness for next year's World Cup knockout rounds. A booking during the game might have suspended him. Isak may be short of|lacking|deficient