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Preamble

Good morning to another Sunday day. This is your all-in-one football coverage hub, focusing on today's key soccer fixtures. England's top division offers fascinating contests featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership clash sees Celtic and Hearts, alongside WSL games plus cup second round drama completes the lineup. Feel free to get in touch telling us your plans for watching the action. Without further ado.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered 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 the Dutch coach, claiming him of tossing him “under the bus” following omission from the first eleven for the third straight match. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the team's disappointing start to the season.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed.”

Another 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 victory over Sunderland, makes for a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Outside English football, Lionel Messi once again played the hero for his MLS side as they triumphed the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome West Ham in a 2pm GMT start. The visitors have displayed signs of life under the appointment of head coach Nuno. A creditable midweek draw means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in their last five.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's cup quarter-final. The Eagles are aiming for a fourth successive away win in the league, having beaten three opponents to nil in their recent travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

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

Other notable results featured:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge beat Stockport on penalties.
• Non-league Buxton FC led against Cheltenham Town before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Today's FA Cup schedule includes:

• 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 mini-leagues forming in this season's top flight.

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are seemingly contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested section includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to stay up probably involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially vulnerable. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Other Matches Today

Outside the Premier League and domestic 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 reaction from Mohamed Salah's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the debate. Has he earned the right to speak out as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is manager Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to try to win games?

Fan opinion seems split:

“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 club legend.”

“Perhaps we should take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be burned. Could he move on loan to a club abroad? Might he accept a lucrative offer and head for the Saudi Pro League after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier fixtures were called off yesterday.

• The match between Charlton and Portsmouth at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a supporter was taken ill. It was later announced the fan died in hospital.
• Blackburn's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – rendered the pitch unplayable.

There is no confirmation on when either game will be rescheduled.