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Preamble

Hello and welcome to another weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one football coverage center, focusing on the day's key soccer fixtures. The Premier League offers intriguing contests featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Hearts, alongside WSL action plus FA Cup round two excitement rounds out the lineup. As always get in touch and let us know your plans for watching today's games. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered the spotlight despite not featuring in Liverpool's hectic 3-3 draw at Elland Road. He launched an stunning attack on manager the Dutch coach, claiming him of tossing him “under the bus” after omission from the starting lineup for the third straight match. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the team's poor beginning to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian stated. “The third time on the bench, I think for the first occasion in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League story was Arsenal's last-gasp defeat at Aston Villa, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's winning strike. This outcome, coupled with City's comfortable win over Sunderland, has left a very tight race at the top of the table.

Away from English leagues, the Argentine maestro once again played the hero for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

The Seagulls welcome West Ham in a 2pm GMT kickoff. West Ham have displayed signs of improvement under the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable midweek draw means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a rematch of last year's FA Cup quarter-final. The Eagles are aiming for a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their recent travels.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup second round provided plenty of excitement yesterday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Additional standout results included:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton FC were ahead against Cheltenham Town before eventually suffering a 6-2 loss.

Sunday's FA Cup action includes:

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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

It appears a trio of separate battlegroups forming in this campaign's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly vying for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section includes several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any string together a consistent form to threaten the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to avoid the drop likely concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves appearing especially vulnerable. Teams like others could also be sucked into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and domestic cup, today's schedule 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)

Around the Continent:

• 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 comments rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the argument. Has he earned the right to speak out as a true 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 I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA 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 have sympathy for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Could he move on loan to a club abroad? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier matches were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a supporter 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 pitch 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 these matches will be rescheduled.