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Opening Thoughts

Good morning to another weekend morning. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage hub, highlighting today's key soccer fixtures. England's top division offers fascinating contests between Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a top-of-the-table Scottish encounter sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside Women's Super League games plus FA Cup second round excitement rounds out the schedule. As always send us your views telling us your plans for watching the action. Without further ado.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah stole the headlines even though he did not play in Liverpool's thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road. Salah delivered an stunning attack on boss the Dutch coach, claiming him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the starting lineup for the third straight match. The player stated that he felt made a scapegoat for the team's poor start to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other major Premier League story saw the Gunners' last-gasp defeat at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's winning goal. That result, combined with Manchester City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight race at the summit of the standings.

Away from English leagues, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls welcome the Hammers in a 2pm GMT start. West Ham have shown flickers of improvement since the arrival of head coach Nuno. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last season's cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth successive victory on the road in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their recent travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

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

Additional standout results featured:

• Swindon hammered Bolton Wanderers – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on penalties.
• Non-league Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham Town before eventually enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Sunday's cup schedule features:

• 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 three separate mini-leagues developing in this season's top flight.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly vying for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight group contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any put together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to stay up probably involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing particularly in trouble. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and FA 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 reaction from the Liverpool forward's explosive interview continues. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to speak out as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is manager Arne Slot right in doing whatever it takes to try to win matches?

Fan opinion seems divided:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If memory serves, Salah was the players' 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 feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?

Sad News from the Championship

Two Championship fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The game between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a fan was taken unwell. It was later announced the fan passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the field unsuitable.

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