Top Flight Preview and FA Cup Second Round Developments and Additional Coverage

Preamble

Morning everyone to another Sunday morning. We bring you your comprehensive football coverage hub, focusing on the day's key soccer fixtures. The Premier League offers fascinating contests between Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. Additionally, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL action plus FA Cup second round drama rounds out the schedule. Feel free to get in touch telling us how you'll be following the action. Without further ado.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah commandeered the headlines despite did not play in the Reds' hectic six-goal thriller at Leeds United. He launched an stunning critique on boss Arne Slot, claiming him of tossing him “to the wolves” following being left out the starting lineup for the third straight game. He expressed feeling singled out for blame for the club's poor start to the campaign.

“I can’t believe … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah reportedly said. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first time in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The other significant Premier League development saw Arsenal's last-gasp loss at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, coupled with City's comfortable victory over the Black Cats, makes for a very tight race at the summit of the standings.

Outside English football, Lionel Messi once again wrote the script for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host West Ham for an afternoon start. The visitors have displayed signs of life under the appointment of head coach Nuno. An impressive midweek draw 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 quarter-final. The Eagles are aiming for a fourth straight away win in the Premier League, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their recent travels.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition second round delivered plenty of drama yesterday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Other standout outcomes included:

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

Today's cup action features:

• 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 forming in this campaign's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently contending for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested group contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the European places. Can any put together a winning run to threaten the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The dogfight to stay up likely involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves looking especially vulnerable. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, Sunday's fixtures 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 Mohamed Salah's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the argument. On one hand, has Salah done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? Or is boss Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win games?

Fan opinion seems split:

“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was the players' player of the year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”

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

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and move to Saudi Arabia after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

Two second-tier 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 unwell. It was later confirmed the fan passed away in hospital.
• Blackburn Rovers'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 – rendered the field unsuitable.

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