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Opening Thoughts

Morning everyone on this Sunday morning. This is your all-in-one football live center, centering on today's key soccer action. The Premier League offers intriguing matches featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish clash sees Celtic and Hearts, alongside Women's Super League games and FA Cup round two drama rounds out the lineup. Feel free to send us your views telling us your plans for watching today's games. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Liverpool's Egyptian star commandeered the spotlight even though he was absent in the Reds' thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds United. Salah delivered an stunning attack on manager Arne Slot, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” after being left out the starting lineup for the third straight game. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the team's disappointing beginning to the campaign.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, perhaps for the first occasion in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other significant top-flight development saw the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's winning goal. That result, coupled with City's comfortable victory over the Black Cats, makes for a incredibly close battle at the top of the standings.

Outside English leagues, the Argentine maestro as ever played the hero for Inter Miami as they lifted the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton welcome the Hammers in a 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement since the appointment of head coach Nuno. A creditable midweek draw means he has presided over a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last season's cup quarter-final. The Eagles are aiming for a fourth successive away win in the league, having beaten three opponents without conceding in their recent away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition second round provided lots of drama on Saturday. National League South side the Seagulls made history by reaching the next round for the first time ever.

Additional notable results included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United defeated Stockport on penalties.
• Non-league Buxton FC led against Cheltenham Town before eventually suffering a 6-2 defeat.

Sunday's cup action features:

• Slough Town v Macclesfield (12.30pm GMT kickoff)
• Boreham Wood v Newport County
• Gateshead v Walsall
• Blackpool v Carlisle United

Developing Mini-Leagues

It appears a trio of distinct battlegroups developing in this season's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: The current leading pack are seemingly contending for the top prize.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested group includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the top five. Will any string together a winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to stay up probably involves several clubs, with Wolves appearing especially vulnerable. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the Premier League 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)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's comments rages on. There are two clear camps to the argument. Has he earned the right to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? Or is manager Arne Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win games?

Views from supporters appears split:

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

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

The big question for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Could he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he accept a lucrative offer and move to the Saudi Pro League following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

A pair of second-tier fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was paused in the 12th minute after a fan was taken ill. 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. Heavy rain – for the second time this season at the ground – rendered the field unplayable.

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