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Opening Thoughts

Hello and welcome to another weekend day. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage center, focusing on the day's key soccer fixtures. The Premier League offers fascinating matches between Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL games plus FA Cup second round excitement completes the schedule. Feel free to get in touch and let us know your plans for watching the action. Let's get into it.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star stole the spotlight even though he not featuring in the Reds' thrilling six-goal thriller at Leeds United. Salah delivered an remarkable attack on boss Arne Slot, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” after omission from the first eleven for the third consecutive game. The player stated feeling 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. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League story saw the Gunners' injury-time loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, coupled with Manchester City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Outside the English leagues, Lionel Messi once again played the hero for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host the Hammers in a 2pm GMT start. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement under the arrival 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 year's FA Cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight away win in the Premier 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 lots of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls created a historic moment by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Additional notable outcomes featured:

• Swindon hammered Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge beat Stockport on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham before eventually suffering a 6-2 loss.

Today's FA Cup schedule features:

• Slough Town v Macclesfield (12.30pm GMT kickoff)
• 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 Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly vying for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight group includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the top five. Can any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably concerns several clubs, with Wolves appearing especially vulnerable. 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 include:

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)

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 explosive interview rages on. There are two clear camps to the argument. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to speak out as a true club icon? On the other, is boss Arne Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win games?

Fan opinion 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 the main target. Not the way to treat a club legend.”

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

What next for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Will he move on loan to a club abroad? Might he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League after the AFCON?

Sad News from the Championship

Two Championship matches were abandoned on Saturday.

• The game between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a fan was taken unwell. It was later announced the fan passed away 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 occasion this season at the ground – rendered the pitch unsuitable.

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