🔗 Share this article

Introduction

Morning everyone to another Sunday day. We bring you your all-in-one matchday coverage hub, centering on today's key football fixtures. The Premier League presents fascinating matches between Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter sees Celtic and Hearts, alongside Women's Super League action plus FA Cup second round excitement completes the lineup. As always share your thoughts telling us how you'll be following today's games. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah commandeered the spotlight even though he not featuring in the Reds' thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds United. He launched an stunning critique on boss Arne Slot, claiming him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the campaign.

“It's unbelievable … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first occasion in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The other significant Premier League story saw the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Villa Park, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's winning strike. That result, coupled with City's comfortable win over the Black Cats, has left a very tight race at the summit of the standings.

Away from the English leagues, Lionel Messi once again played the hero for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host the Hammers for an 2pm GMT kickoff. West Ham have shown flickers of improvement under the arrival of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a repeat of last year's cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight victory on the road in the Premier League, having beaten three opponents without conceding in their recent away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition second round provided plenty of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls made history by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Other standout outcomes featured:

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

Today's FA Cup action features:

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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

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

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently vying for the top prize.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested section includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the top five. Will any put together a consistent form to threaten the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to stay up probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially in trouble. Teams like others could also be dragged into the fight.

Other Matches Today

Outside the Premier League and domestic cup, today's schedule feature:

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)

European Football:

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

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from Mohamed Salah's comments continues. There are two clear camps to the debate. Has he earned the right to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is manager Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win games?

Views from supporters appears split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. Not the way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Perhaps we should take a moment to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he move on loan to another European club? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of Championship fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a fan was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the supporter died in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – made the pitch unplayable.

There is no word yet on when these matches will be rescheduled.