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Introduction

Morning everyone on this Sunday morning. We bring you your comprehensive football coverage hub, focusing on today's key soccer action. England's top division presents intriguing contests featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership encounter sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside Women's Super League games plus cup round two excitement rounds out the lineup. We encourage send us your views and let us know how you'll be following today's games. Let's get into it.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah grabbed the headlines despite not featuring in the Reds' thrilling six-goal thriller at Leeds United. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “to the wolves” after being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. The player stated feeling singled out for blame for the team's poor beginning to the season.

“I can’t believe … 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.”

Another significant Premier League development was Arsenal's injury-time loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emi Buendía's winning strike. This outcome, combined with Manchester City's straightforward victory over the Black Cats, has left a very tight battle at the summit of the standings.

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

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome the Hammers for an afternoon start. West Ham have displayed signs of life since the appointment of head coach Nuno. A creditable 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 eyeing a fourth successive away win in the Premier League, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their recent away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round delivered plenty of drama yesterday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by reaching the next round for the first time in their history.

Other standout results featured:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United defeated Stockport on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham before eventually suffering 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: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently vying for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight section includes several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any put together a winning run to threaten the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to stay up probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves appearing particularly vulnerable. Teams like others could also be sucked into the battle.

Other Matches Today

Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, today'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 the Liverpool forward's explosive interview continues. There are two distinct sides to the argument. On one hand, has Salah done enough to voice his frustration as a bona fide Liverpool legend? On the other, is boss Arne Slot right in doing whatever it takes to try to win matches?

Fan opinion seems divided:

“United fan here. If memory serves, 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.”

“Can we pause to have sympathy 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 the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he move on loan to another European club? Might he accept a lucrative offer and move to the Saudi Pro League following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

A pair of second-tier fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The game between Charlton and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a fan was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the fan passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – rendered the field unplayable.

At this time, there is no word yet on when either game will be rescheduled.