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Opening Thoughts

Morning everyone to another weekend day. We bring you your comprehensive football live hub, focusing on the day's major soccer action. The Premier League offers fascinating contests between Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish clash sees Celtic and Hearts, alongside WSL games plus cup round two excitement rounds out the lineup. Feel free to share your thoughts telling us how you'll be following the action. Here we go.

Yesterday's Headlines

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered the headlines despite was absent in the Reds' hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an astonishing attack on boss the Dutch coach, claiming him of throwing him “to the wolves” after omission from the starting lineup for the third consecutive match. The player stated that he felt singled out for blame for the club's poor beginning 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, I think for the first occasion in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another major top-flight story was Arsenal's last-gasp loss at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's decisive strike. This outcome, coupled with Manchester City's straightforward victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight battle at the top of the table.

Outside the English football, the Argentine maestro once again wrote the script for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton welcome the Hammers for an 2pm GMT kickoff. West Ham have shown flickers of life since the appointment of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has overseen 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. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having beaten three opponents to nil in their latest away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round delivered lots of excitement on Saturday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by reaching the next round for the first time ever.

Other notable results included:

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

Today's FA Cup schedule includes:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

It appears a trio of distinct battlegroups forming in this season's top flight.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight group includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Can any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to stay up likely concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves appearing particularly vulnerable. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Other Matches Today

Outside 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)

The Salah Debate Continues

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the argument. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is boss Arne Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win games?

Views from supporters 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 legend of the club.”

“Can we pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

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

Sad News from the Championship

Two Championship matches were abandoned on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a supporter was taken ill. It was later announced the supporter died in hospital.
• Blackburn's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Torrential 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.