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Preamble

Good morning on this weekend morning. We bring you your comprehensive football live center, highlighting today's major soccer fixtures. The Premier League presents fascinating matches between Brighton & West Ham as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish encounter between Celtic and Hearts, coupled with WSL action and FA Cup round two drama completes the lineup. As always send us your views telling us how you'll be following today's games. Without further ado.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the spotlight even though he was absent in the Reds' hectic 3-3 draw at Leeds United. Salah delivered an astonishing critique on boss Arne Slot, claiming him of throwing him “under the bus” following being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. He expressed that he felt singled out for blame for the club's disappointing beginning to the campaign.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “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 Villa Park, sealed by Emi Buendía's winning strike. This outcome, combined with Manchester City's straightforward win over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close race at the summit of the standings.

Outside English football, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for Inter Miami as they triumphed the league championship, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton host the Hammers in a afternoon start. The visitors have shown flickers of improvement under the appointment of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a rematch of last season's cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth successive victory on the road in the league, having beaten three opponents without conceding in their latest away fixtures.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round delivered lots of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the third round for the first time in their history.

Additional notable results included:

• Swindon Town thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham Town before finally enduring a 6-2 loss.

Sunday's cup schedule includes:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

It appears three distinct mini-leagues developing in this campaign's Premier League.

1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly contending for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight group contains several big names, all with designs on the top five. Will any put together a consistent form to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to avoid the drop probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing particularly in trouble. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.

Other Matches Today

Outside 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 reaction from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview rages on. There are two clear camps to the argument. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to speak out as a bona fide club icon? Or is manager Arne Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win matches?

Fan opinion appears split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, 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.”

“Can we take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be burned. Could he seek a loan to another European club? Might he accept a lucrative offer and move to Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier fixtures were called off yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the supporter died in hospital.
• Blackburn's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also paused and abandoned due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Heavy rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – rendered the field unplayable.

At this time, there is no word yet on when these matches will be rescheduled.