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Opening Thoughts

Hello and welcome to another Sunday day. We bring you your all-in-one football coverage hub, centering on the day's key soccer fixtures. The Premier League offers intriguing contests featuring Brighton & West Ham and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish encounter between the Hoops and the Jambos, coupled with Women's Super League games and cup round two drama completes the lineup. We encourage share your thoughts and let us know how you'll be following today's games. Here we go.

Yesterday's Headlines

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered the headlines despite not featuring in Liverpool's thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road. Salah delivered an remarkable attack on boss Arne Slot, claiming him of throwing him “to the wolves” after being left out the starting lineup for the third straight match. The player stated that he felt made a scapegoat for the club's poor beginning to the campaign.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah reportedly said. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League story saw the Gunners' injury-time loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's winning strike. This outcome, coupled with City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close battle at the top of the table.

Away from the English leagues, Lionel Messi once again wrote the script for Inter Miami as they lifted the league championship, beating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton welcome West Ham for an 2pm GMT kickoff. West Ham have shown flickers of life since the arrival of manager Nuno. A creditable point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last year's FA Cup quarter-final. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated three opponents to nil in their recent away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

England's famous cup competition round two delivered plenty of drama on Saturday. National League South side the Seagulls made history by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Additional standout outcomes included:

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

Sunday's cup schedule includes:

• 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 three distinct mini-leagues developing in this season's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently vying for the top prize.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight section contains several big names, all with designs on the top five. Can any put together a consistent form to threaten the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially in trouble. Clubs such as others could also be sucked into the battle.

Other Matches Today

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)

European Football:

• 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 comments rages on. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the debate. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to voice his frustration as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is manager Arne Slot right in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win games?

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. Not the way to treat a club legend.”

“Can we pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Or will he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of second-tier fixtures were called off on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a fan was taken unwell. It was later confirmed 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 time this season at the ground – made the field unplayable.

There is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.