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Opening Thoughts

Hello and welcome to another weekend morning. This is your all-in-one football live center, highlighting the day's key soccer fixtures. England's top division offers intriguing contests between Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter sees the Hoops and the Jambos, coupled with Women's Super League games plus cup second round excitement completes the lineup. Feel free to get in touch telling us your plans for watching the action. Let's get into it.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah commandeered the spotlight despite not featuring in Liverpool's thrilling six-goal thriller at Leeds United. He launched an remarkable critique on manager Arne Slot, accusing him of tossing him “to the wolves” following omission from the first eleven for the third consecutive match. He expressed feeling singled out for blame for the team's disappointing start to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other major Premier League story saw Arsenal's injury-time defeat at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's winning goal. That result, combined with City's straightforward victory over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close race at the top of the table.

Outside the English football, the Argentine maestro as ever wrote the script for Inter Miami as they triumphed the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls welcome the Hammers for an afternoon kickoff. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement under the appointment of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's FA Cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their latest away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round provided lots of drama yesterday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by reaching the third round for the first time ever.

Additional notable results featured:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United defeated Stockport County on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton FC led against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Today's cup schedule features:

• Slough Town v Macclesfield (early start)
• Boreham Wood v Newport County
• Gateshead v Walsall
• Blackpool v Carlisle United

The Premier League's Three Tiers

There seems to be a trio of separate battlegroups forming in this season's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently contending for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested group includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Will any string together a consistent form to challenge the elite?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to avoid the drop likely concerns several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing particularly in trouble. Teams like others could also be sucked into the fight.

Other Matches Today

Outside the English top flight and FA Cup, Sunday's fixtures include:

Women's Top Flight: (All 12pm GMT unless stated)

• Leicester City v Manchester City
• London City Lionesses v Brighton & Hove Albion
• Manchester United v West Ham United
• Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
• Chelsea v Everton (2.30pm GMT)

European Football:

• Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (8pm CET)
• Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim (4.30pm CET)

The Salah Debate Continues

The reaction from Mohamed Salah's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to voice his frustration as a true club icon? Or is boss Slot right in doing whatever it takes to try to win matches?

Views from supporters appears split:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was the players' player of the year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Perhaps we should pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Could he move on loan to another European club? Might he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

A pair of second-tier fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The game between Charlton and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a fan was taken unwell. It was later announced the supporter passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the pitch unsuitable.

There is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.