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Preamble

Hello and welcome on this weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one football live center, centering on today's major football action. England's top division presents fascinating contests between Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. Additionally, a top-of-the-table Scottish encounter between Celtic and Hearts, alongside WSL games and FA Cup second round drama completes the lineup. Feel free to share your thoughts telling us your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah commandeered the spotlight even though he was absent in Liverpool's hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an stunning critique on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the first eleven for the third consecutive match. The player stated that he felt singled out for blame for the team's disappointing start to the season.

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

Another major top-flight story saw Arsenal's last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emi Buendía's winning strike. That result, coupled with City's comfortable victory over the Black Cats, has left a incredibly close battle at the summit of the table.

Away from English football, the Argentine maestro once again wrote the script for his MLS side as they triumphed the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton welcome West Ham for an afternoon kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of life since the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham versus Palace is a repeat of last season's FA Cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their recent away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition round two delivered lots of drama on Saturday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by reaching the third round for the first time in their history.

Additional notable results included:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham Town before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.

Today's cup schedule includes:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

There seems to be three separate battlegroups developing in this season's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently contending for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the top five. Can any put together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to stay up likely concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing especially in trouble. Teams like others could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, Sunday's schedule include:

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)

The Salah Debate Continues

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's comments rages on. There are two clear camps to the argument. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? Or 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 I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. Not the way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Can we pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he seek a loan to another European club? Might he take the pay day and move to the Saudi Pro League after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

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

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a fan was taken ill. It was later confirmed the supporter died 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 pitch unsuitable.

At this time, there is no confirmation on when either game will be replayed.