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Preamble

Morning everyone to another weekend morning. This is your comprehensive football live center, focusing on today's major soccer fixtures. The Premier League presents intriguing matches between Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a crucial Scottish encounter between the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside Women's Super League games plus cup second round drama completes the lineup. Feel free to share your thoughts and let us know your plans for watching today's games. Let's get into it.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah grabbed the spotlight even though he was absent in the Reds' 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 beginning to the campaign.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other major top-flight story saw Arsenal's last-gasp defeat at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's winning goal. That result, combined with Manchester City's comfortable win over the Black Cats, has left a very tight battle at the summit of the table.

Outside English football, Lionel Messi once again wrote the script for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome West Ham in a afternoon start. The visitors have displayed signs of life under the arrival 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 year's FA Cup quarter-final. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth successive victory on the road in the league, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition round two delivered plenty of drama yesterday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by reaching the third round for the first time ever.

Additional standout results included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton led against Cheltenham Town before finally enduring a 6-2 loss.

Today's FA Cup action features:

• 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 three separate battlegroups developing in this season's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are seemingly vying for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight section contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the top five. Will any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to stay up likely involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially vulnerable. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the English top flight and domestic cup, today's schedule 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)

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 explosive interview rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah done enough to speak out as a bona fide club icon? Or is boss Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win games?

Fan opinion seems split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was PFA 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 take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Could he seek a loan to another European club? Might he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of second-tier fixtures were called off yesterday.

• The game between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a supporter was taken ill. 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 time this season at the ground – made the field unplayable.

At this time, there is no word yet on when these matches will be replayed.