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Preamble

Good morning on this Sunday day. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage center, centering on the day's major football action. The Premier League presents fascinating contests between Brighton & West Ham and Fulham & Crystal Palace. Additionally, a top-of-the-table Scottish encounter sees the Hoops and the Jambos, coupled with WSL games plus FA Cup second round drama completes the schedule. Feel free to share your thoughts and let us know how you'll be following today's games. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the spotlight even though he did not play in the Reds' hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on manager Arne Slot, claiming him of throwing him “under the bus” after being left out the first eleven for the third straight match. The player stated that he felt singled out for blame for the club's poor beginning to the season.

“I can’t believe … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

Another major top-flight development saw Arsenal's injury-time loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's winning goal. That result, coupled with Manchester City's straightforward win over the Black Cats, makes for a very tight battle at the top of the standings.

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

Today's Premier League Fixtures

The Seagulls welcome West Ham in a 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of life since the appointment of manager Nuno. An impressive midweek draw means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last season's cup quarter-final. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their recent travels.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition round two delivered lots of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by advancing to the third round for the first time ever.

Additional notable results included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton led against Cheltenham before finally suffering a 6-2 defeat.

Sunday'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

There seems to be a trio of distinct battlegroups developing in this season'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 very tight section includes several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any put together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to stay up probably involves several clubs, with Wolves looking particularly vulnerable. Teams like others could also be sucked into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League 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)

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 comments rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the argument. Has he done enough to speak out as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is boss Arne Slot right in doing whatever it takes to try to win matches?

Views from supporters seems split:

“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 chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Perhaps we should pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked 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. Could he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two Championship fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The game between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a supporter was taken ill. It was later announced 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 time this season at the ground – made the field unsuitable.

There is no confirmation on when these matches will be replayed.