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Opening Thoughts

Hello and welcome to another weekend day. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage hub, focusing on today's key football action. England's top division presents fascinating matches between Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside Women's Super League action plus cup round two drama completes the lineup. We encourage get in touch telling us your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered the headlines despite was absent in Liverpool's hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on manager Arne Slot, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” after omission from the first eleven for the third straight match. He expressed feeling singled out for blame for the team's poor start to the campaign.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League development was the Gunners' injury-time loss at Villa Park, sealed by Emi Buendía's decisive goal. This outcome, coupled with City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, has left a very tight battle at the top of the standings.

Away from English football, the Argentine maestro as ever wrote the script for Inter Miami as they triumphed the league championship, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton welcome West Ham in a afternoon start. The visitors have shown flickers of life since the appointment of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has overseen a run of only one loss in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a repeat of last season's cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having defeated three opponents without conceding in their latest travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round provided lots of excitement yesterday. National League South side the Seagulls created a historic moment by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Other notable results featured:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Non-league Buxton FC were ahead against Cheltenham Town before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Sunday's FA Cup action includes:

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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

It appears a trio of distinct mini-leagues developing in this campaign's top flight.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly 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 top five. Can any string together a winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to avoid the drop probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves looking especially in trouble. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the English top flight and FA Cup, Sunday'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 continues. There are two distinct sides to the debate. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to speak out as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is manager Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to try to win games?

Fan opinion seems split:

“United fan here. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a club legend.”

“Perhaps we should take a moment to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning 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 burned. Will he move on loan to another European club? Might he accept a lucrative offer and head for the Saudi Pro League following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

Two Championship fixtures were abandoned on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton and Portsmouth at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a fan was taken unwell. It was later announced the fan passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second time this season at the ground – rendered the field unplayable.

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