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Opening Thoughts

Good morning on this weekend morning. This is your comprehensive football live center, highlighting today's key football fixtures. England's top division offers intriguing contests between the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Hearts, coupled with WSL games plus FA Cup round two drama rounds out the schedule. Feel free to share your thoughts telling us your plans for watching the action. Here we go.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah grabbed the spotlight despite not featuring in Liverpool's thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an astonishing critique on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of throwing him “under the bus” following being left out the first eleven for the third straight match. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the season.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, I think for the first occasion in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another significant top-flight story was the Gunners' injury-time loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's winning goal. This outcome, combined with Manchester City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight battle at the summit of the standings.

Outside the English leagues, the Argentine maestro as ever wrote the script for Inter Miami as they triumphed the league championship, beating Vancouver 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host the Hammers for an 2pm GMT start. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement since the arrival of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has overseen a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last year's cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their recent travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round delivered plenty of excitement yesterday. National League South side the Seagulls created a historic moment by reaching the next round for the first time in their history.

Additional notable results included:

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

Today's FA 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

It appears a trio of distinct mini-leagues forming in this campaign's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: The current leading pack are seemingly contending for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight group contains several big names, all with designs on the European places. Will any string together a consistent form to challenge 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 looking especially in trouble. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, today's fixtures include:

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)

European Football:

• Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (8pm CET)
• Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim (4.30pm CET)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The reaction from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview rages on. There are two distinct sides to the debate. Has he earned the right to speak out as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is boss Arne Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win games?

Views from supporters seems split:

“United fan here. 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 club legend.”

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

What next for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Could he move on loan to a club abroad? Might he accept a lucrative offer and move to Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?

Sad News from the Championship

Two second-tier matches were called off yesterday.

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

At this time, there is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.