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Preamble

Hello and welcome to another weekend day. We bring you your comprehensive football live hub, focusing on today's key soccer action. England's top division offers intriguing matches featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership encounter between the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside Women's Super League action plus cup round two drama completes the schedule. As always get in touch and let us know your plans for watching the action. Without further ado.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah commandeered the spotlight despite was absent in Liverpool's hectic 3-3 draw at Leeds United. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on boss Arne Slot, accusing him of tossing him “to the wolves” following omission from the first eleven for the third straight match. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the season.

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

The other major Premier League development was the Gunners' injury-time loss at Villa Park, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. This outcome, coupled with City's straightforward victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight battle at the summit of the standings.

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

Today's Premier League Fixtures

The Seagulls host the Hammers in a 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of improvement since the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive 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 season's FA Cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having beaten three opponents without conceding in their recent away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup round two provided lots of excitement on Saturday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by reaching the next round for the first time in their history.

Additional standout results featured:

• Swindon hammered Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United defeated Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Non-league Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham Town before eventually suffering a 6-2 loss.

Today's 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

There seems to be a trio of distinct battlegroups forming in this campaign's top flight.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly vying for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight section includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Will any put together a winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to avoid the drop likely involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking particularly in trouble. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the fight.

Other Matches Today

Away from the Premier League and domestic cup, today's schedule include:

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)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's comments rages on. There are two distinct sides to the argument. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is boss Arne Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win matches?

Fan opinion seems split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. Not the way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Perhaps we should pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think his bridges at Liverpool 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 Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of Championship fixtures were abandoned on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a supporter was taken ill. It was later confirmed the fan died in hospital.
• Blackburn'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 – made the field unplayable.

At this time, there is no word yet on when either game will be rescheduled.