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Preamble

Morning everyone on this Sunday morning. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage center, highlighting today's key football action. England's top division presents intriguing contests between the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. Additionally, a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter between the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL games and FA Cup round two excitement completes the lineup. As always get in touch telling us your plans for watching today's games. Without further ado.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the spotlight despite was absent in Liverpool's hectic six-goal thriller at Leeds United. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of throwing him “under the bus” after omission from the starting lineup for the third straight game. The player stated that he felt singled out for blame for the club's poor start to the season.

“I can’t believe … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first occasion in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other significant top-flight story saw the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's decisive goal. This outcome, combined with City's straightforward win over the Black Cats, makes for a very tight battle at the summit of the table.

Outside the English football, the Argentine maestro once again played the hero for his MLS side as they triumphed the league championship, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

The Seagulls host the Hammers in a 2pm GMT kickoff. West Ham have shown flickers of life under the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable 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 rematch of last season's FA Cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having defeated three opponents to nil in their latest away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

England's famous cup competition second round provided lots of drama on Saturday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls created a historic moment by reaching the next round for the first time ever.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge beat Stockport County on penalties.
• Non-league Buxton led against Cheltenham before eventually suffering a 6-2 loss.

Today's cup action 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 distinct battlegroups forming in this campaign's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested section includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Can any string together a consistent form to threaten the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing especially in trouble. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the fight.

Other Matches Today

Outside the English top flight and FA Cup, Sunday's schedule 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)

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 rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a bona fide Liverpool legend? Or is boss Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win matches?

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 chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a club legend.”

“Can we take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

What next for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Will he move on loan to another European club? Or will he take the pay day and head for Saudi Arabia after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

Two second-tier matches were called off yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a fan was taken ill. It was later confirmed the supporter died 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 unsuitable.

There is no word yet on when these matches will be rescheduled.