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Preamble

Morning everyone to another Sunday morning. We bring you your comprehensive matchday live center, centering on the day's key football fixtures. The Premier League offers fascinating contests between the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter between Celtic and Hearts, alongside WSL action and FA Cup second round excitement completes the lineup. Feel free to share your thoughts and let us know your plans for watching the action. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah grabbed the headlines even though he did not play in Liverpool's hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an astonishing critique on manager Arne Slot, claiming him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the team's disappointing start to the season.

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

Another significant Premier League development saw the Gunners' injury-time loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. This outcome, combined with Manchester City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight race at the top of the standings.

Away from the English football, the Argentine maestro once again wrote the script for Inter Miami as they triumphed the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome the Hammers in a afternoon kickoff. The visitors have displayed signs of life since the appointment of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's FA Cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest travels.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup second round delivered lots of drama on Saturday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by reaching the third round for the first time in their history.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon hammered Bolton Wanderers – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton led against Cheltenham Town before eventually suffering a 6-2 defeat.

Today's cup schedule features:

• Slough Town v Macclesfield (early start)
• 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 separate mini-leagues forming in this season's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly vying for the top prize.
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 winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to stay up likely involves several clubs, with Wolves appearing especially vulnerable. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the English top flight 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 fallout from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview continues. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? Or is manager Arne Slot right in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win matches?

Views from supporters appears divided:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. This is no way to treat a club legend.”

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

What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Could he seek a loan to another European club? Might he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of second-tier matches were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a fan was taken ill. It was later announced the fan passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – made the pitch unplayable.

At this time, there is no confirmation on when either game will be replayed.