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Opening Thoughts

Good morning on this Sunday day. We bring you your all-in-one matchday coverage hub, highlighting the day's key football fixtures. England's top division presents fascinating contests between the Seagulls and the Hammers as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish clash sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside Women's Super League games and FA Cup second round excitement completes the lineup. We encourage send us your views and let us know your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star stole the spotlight even though he not featuring in the Reds' hectic 3-3 draw at Elland Road. Salah delivered an remarkable attack on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the starting lineup for the third straight game. He expressed 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,” Salah reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first occasion in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another major Premier League development was Arsenal's injury-time loss at Villa Park, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with City's comfortable win over the Black Cats, makes for a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Away from English football, the Argentine maestro once again wrote the script for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton welcome the Hammers in a afternoon start. West Ham have shown flickers of improvement since the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has overseen a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's FA Cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the Premier League, having beaten three opponents without conceding in their recent travels.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup second round provided lots of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls created a historic moment by reaching the third round for the first time in their history.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon Town hammered Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United defeated Stockport on spot-kicks.
• Non-league Buxton led against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Sunday's 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 a trio of separate mini-leagues developing in this season's top flight.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently contending for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested 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 Relegation Battle: The dogfight to stay up probably involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing particularly vulnerable. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the fight.

Other Matches Today

Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, today's schedule feature:

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 fallout from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview continues. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the debate. Has he earned the right to speak out as a bona fide Liverpool legend? Or is manager Arne Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win games?

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 chief scapegoat. This is no 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 currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Many think his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Could he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he accept a lucrative offer and move to the Saudi Pro League after the AFCON?

Sad News from the Championship

Two Championship matches were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a supporter was taken ill. It was later confirmed the fan died 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 occasion this season at the ground – made the pitch unplayable.

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