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Introduction

Morning everyone to another weekend morning. This is your comprehensive matchday coverage center, highlighting today's key soccer fixtures. England's top division presents fascinating contests featuring the Seagulls and the Hammers as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Hearts, alongside Women's Super League action plus FA Cup round two excitement rounds out the schedule. As always share your thoughts telling us your plans for watching the action. Let's get into it.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the headlines even though he did not play in Liverpool's thrilling six-goal thriller at Leeds United. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on manager Arne Slot, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” following omission from the first eleven for the third consecutive match. He expressed that he felt singled out for blame for the club's disappointing beginning to the season.

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

Another major Premier League story was the Gunners' last-gasp defeat at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with City's straightforward victory over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close race at the summit of the standings.

Away from English football, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host West Ham in a afternoon kickoff. West Ham have shown flickers of life since the arrival of head coach Nuno. A creditable midweek draw means he has overseen a run of only one loss in five games.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last year's cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth successive away win in the league, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their recent travels.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup round two delivered plenty of drama yesterday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by advancing to the next round for the first time ever.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Non-league Buxton FC led against Cheltenham before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.

Sunday's cup action features:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

There seems to be three distinct mini-leagues developing in this campaign's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently vying for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight group contains several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Will any put together a consistent form to challenge the elite?
3. The Relegation Battle: The dogfight to stay up probably involves several clubs, with Wolves looking particularly vulnerable. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the battle.

Other Matches Today

Away from the Premier League and FA 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)

The Salah Debate Continues

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's explosive interview rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to speak out as a true club icon? On the other, is manager Arne Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win matches?

Views from supporters appears divided:

“United fan here. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. Not the way to treat a club legend.”

“Can we take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning 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. Will he move on loan to a club abroad? Or will he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier matches were called off on Saturday.

• The game between Charlton and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later announced the fan died in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Heavy rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the pitch unplayable.

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