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Preamble

Morning everyone on this weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one matchday live hub, focusing on the day's major soccer fixtures. The Premier League presents intriguing matches featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. Additionally, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash between the Hoops and the Jambos, coupled with Women's Super League action plus FA Cup second round drama rounds out the schedule. We encourage send us your views and let us know how you'll be following the action. Let's get into it.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star stole the spotlight despite was absent in the Reds' thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds United. He launched an astonishing attack on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “to the wolves” following omission from the first eleven for the third straight match. The player stated feeling made a scapegoat for the club's poor beginning to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah reportedly said. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another major top-flight story saw Arsenal's injury-time defeat at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's winning strike. That result, combined with Manchester City's straightforward win over Sunderland, has left a very tight race at the top of the table.

Away from English football, the Argentine maestro as ever played the hero for Inter Miami as they lifted the league championship, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton host the Hammers for an 2pm GMT start. West Ham have displayed signs of improvement under the appointment of manager Nuno. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has presided over a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last year's FA Cup quarter-final. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the Premier League, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest travels.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup round two provided plenty of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the next round for the first time ever.

Additional standout outcomes included:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 loss.

Today's cup schedule features:

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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

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

1. Championship Contenders: The current leading pack are apparently vying for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight section includes several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any put together a consistent form to challenge the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to avoid the drop likely involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing especially vulnerable. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

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

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The reaction from the Liverpool forward's comments rages on. There are two clear camps to the argument. Has he earned the right to speak out as a true club icon? On the other, is boss Slot right in doing whatever it takes to try to win matches?

Views from supporters seems split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Can we pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be burned. Could he seek a loan to another European club? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two Championship matches were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton and Portsmouth at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a fan was taken unwell. It was later announced the fan 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 – rendered the pitch unplayable.

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