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Preamble

Good morning on this weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one football coverage hub, centering on today'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 top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership clash sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL games and FA Cup round two excitement completes the lineup. As always share your thoughts 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 headlines even though he did not play in Liverpool's hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an astonishing attack on manager Arne Slot, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” following being left out the first eleven for the third consecutive match. He expressed that he felt singled out for blame for the club's disappointing beginning to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian stated. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first occasion in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The other significant top-flight development saw Arsenal's injury-time defeat at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's winning goal. That result, coupled with City's straightforward victory over the Black Cats, makes for a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Outside the English football, the Argentine maestro once again played the hero for Inter Miami as they triumphed the league championship, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome the Hammers for an 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of life since the appointment of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable point at Manchester United means he has presided over a run of only one loss in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are aiming for a fourth successive victory on the road in the Premier League, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their latest away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

England's famous cup competition round two provided plenty of drama yesterday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the third round for the first time ever.

Other notable results included:

• Swindon hammered Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge beat Stockport on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton FC were ahead against Cheltenham Town before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Today's cup schedule includes:

• Slough Town v Macclesfield (12.30pm GMT kickoff)
• Boreham Wood v Newport County
• Gateshead v Walsall
• Blackpool v Carlisle United

Developing Mini-Leagues

There seems to be three distinct battlegroups developing in this campaign's top flight.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently vying for the top prize.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight group includes several big names, all with designs on the top five. Will any put together a consistent form to challenge the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to stay up likely involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially vulnerable. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the Premier League and domestic cup, Sunday'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)

European Football:

• 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. There are two distinct sides to the debate. Has he earned the right to speak out as a true club icon? Or is manager Arne Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win games?

Fan opinion appears split:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If memory serves, Salah was PFA 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 have sympathy for Mo Salah? He must have overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of Championship matches were abandoned on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the supporter passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Heavy rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the field unplayable.

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