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Opening Thoughts

Good morning on this weekend day. We bring you your all-in-one football live center, highlighting the day's major soccer action. The Premier League presents fascinating matches between the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership encounter between the Hoops and the Jambos, coupled with Women's Super League games plus FA Cup round two excitement rounds out the lineup. We encourage share your thoughts telling us how you'll be following the action. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah stole the headlines despite not featuring in the Reds' thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds United. He launched an remarkable attack on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of throwing him “under the bus” following omission from the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. The player stated feeling singled out for blame for the team's disappointing beginning to the season.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first occasion in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another major Premier League story was the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Outside the English leagues, the Argentine maestro as ever wrote the script for Inter Miami as they lifted the league championship, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome West Ham for an 2pm GMT start. West Ham have shown flickers of improvement since the appointment of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has presided over a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated three opponents without conceding in their recent away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round provided plenty of drama on Saturday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls created a historic moment by advancing to the next round for the first time ever.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon Town hammered Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport on penalties.
• Non-league Buxton led against Cheltenham before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.

Sunday's cup schedule features:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

There seems to be three distinct battlegroups developing in this campaign's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: The current leading pack are apparently contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested section includes several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Will any string together a winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing particularly in trouble. Clubs such as others could also be dragged into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, today's fixtures include:

Women's Super League (WSL): (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)

Around the Continent:

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

The Salah Debate Continues

The reaction from the Liverpool forward's explosive interview rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the argument. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a bona fide Liverpool legend? On the other, is manager Slot right in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win matches?

Views from supporters seems 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.”

“Can we take a moment to have sympathy 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 Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Could he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

Two Championship matches were abandoned on Saturday.

• The game between Charlton and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the 12th minute after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later announced the supporter died in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Heavy rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the field unsuitable.

At this time, there is no word yet on when either game will be replayed.