🔗 Share this article

Introduction

Good morning to another Sunday morning. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage center, centering on the day's key soccer action. England's top division offers fascinating matches between Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership encounter between Celtic and Hearts, coupled with WSL games plus FA Cup second round excitement completes the lineup. We encourage send us your views telling us how you'll be following the action. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah stole the spotlight despite was absent in the Reds' hectic 3-3 draw at Leeds United. Salah delivered an stunning attack on manager Arne Slot, claiming him of tossing him “to the wolves” following being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive match. He expressed that he felt singled out for blame for the club'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 professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other major top-flight development saw the Gunners' injury-time loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's winning strike. This outcome, combined with Manchester City's comfortable win over the Black Cats, makes for a incredibly close race at the summit of the table.

Outside English football, Lionel Messi as ever wrote the script for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls welcome West Ham for an 2pm GMT start. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement under the arrival of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's cup quarter-final. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having defeated three opponents without conceding in their latest away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

England's famous cup competition round two delivered plenty of drama on Saturday. National League South side the Seagulls made history by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton FC led against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Today's FA Cup schedule 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 three distinct mini-leagues developing in this campaign's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly contending for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section contains several big names, all with designs on the top five. Can any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to avoid the drop probably concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves looking especially in trouble. 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 fixtures feature:

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)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's explosive interview rages on. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the argument. Has he earned the right to voice his frustration as a true club icon? On the other, is manager Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win matches?

Views from supporters seems split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was the players' player of the year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. This is no way to treat a club legend.”

“Perhaps we should pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Could he seek a loan to a club abroad? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

Two second-tier matches were called off on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic 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'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 – rendered the pitch unplayable.

At this time, there is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.