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Preamble

Good morning on this weekend day. This is your all-in-one football live hub, centering on the day's key football action. The Premier League presents fascinating matches featuring Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a crucial Scottish clash sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL action plus FA Cup round two drama rounds out the lineup. We encourage share your thoughts telling us your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah grabbed the headlines even though he was absent in Liverpool's thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an remarkable critique on boss the Dutch coach, claiming him of throwing him “to the wolves” after being left out the first eleven for the third consecutive match. The player stated feeling made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the campaign.

“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, I think for the first occasion in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League development saw Arsenal's injury-time defeat at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's decisive strike. This outcome, combined with City's comfortable win over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close battle at the top of the standings.

Outside English football, Lionel Messi as ever wrote the script for his MLS side as they triumphed the league championship, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host West Ham for an 2pm GMT start. West Ham have displayed signs of improvement under the appointment of manager Nuno. A creditable point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a rematch of last year's cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the Premier League, having beaten three opponents to nil in their latest travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

England's famous cup competition round two provided plenty of excitement on Saturday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by reaching the next round for the first time ever.

Other standout outcomes included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport on penalties.
• Non-league Buxton FC were ahead against Cheltenham before eventually suffering a 6-2 defeat.

Today's cup action 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 distinct mini-leagues forming in this season's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are seemingly contending for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section contains several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to avoid the drop likely concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves looking especially in trouble. Clubs such as others could also be dragged into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the English top flight and domestic cup, today's fixtures feature:

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)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview continues. There are two clear camps to the debate. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a bona fide Liverpool legend? On the other, is boss Arne Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win matches?

Fan opinion seems divided:

“United fan here. 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 legend of the club.”

“Perhaps we should take a moment to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's best-paid player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be burned. Will he move on loan to a club abroad? Or will he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of Championship fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a supporter was taken ill. It was later announced the fan died in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the pitch unsuitable.

There is no word yet on when these matches will be rescheduled.