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Preamble

Hello and welcome to another weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one matchday live center, centering on the day's key football action. The Premier League offers fascinating contests featuring the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish encounter sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL action and FA Cup round two excitement rounds out the lineup. We encourage get in touch telling us your plans for watching today's games. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered the headlines despite was absent in the Reds' hectic 3-3 draw at Leeds United. Salah delivered an stunning critique on boss the Dutch coach, claiming him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive match. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the club's poor beginning to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian stated. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The other major Premier League development was Arsenal's injury-time loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with City's comfortable victory over the Black Cats, has left a incredibly close race at the summit of the standings.

Away from English leagues, the Argentine maestro once again played the hero for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome West Ham for an 2pm GMT start. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement under the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable 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 year's FA Cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the Premier League, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their latest away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup round two delivered plenty of excitement yesterday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls made history by reaching the next round for the first time ever.

Other notable results included:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham before eventually enduring a 6-2 loss.

Today's FA Cup action includes:

• Slough Town v Macclesfield (12.30pm GMT 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 distinct battlegroups developing in this campaign's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are apparently vying for the top prize.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested group contains several big names, all with designs on the top five. Will any string together a winning run to challenge the elite?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to avoid the drop likely concerns several clubs, with Wolves looking particularly in trouble. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Other Matches Today

Away from the English top flight and domestic 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. There are two distinct sides to the debate. Has he done enough to speak out as a true club icon? Or is boss Slot right in doing whatever it takes to try to win games?

Fan opinion seems divided:

“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 the main target. Not the way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Can we pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for the Egyptian king, then? Many think his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Could he move on loan to another European club? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and move to the Saudi Pro League following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier matches were called off 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 confirmed the fan 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 occasion this season at the ground – rendered the field unsuitable.

There is no confirmation on when either game will be rescheduled.