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Opening Thoughts

Morning everyone to another Sunday morning. We bring you your all-in-one matchday coverage hub, focusing on the day's key football fixtures. The Premier League presents intriguing contests featuring the Seagulls and the Hammers as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Hearts, alongside WSL games and cup second round drama completes the schedule. As always send us your views and let us know how you'll be following the action. Without further ado.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah stole the spotlight even though he not featuring in the Reds' thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an remarkable attack on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” following omission from the starting lineup for the third consecutive match. The player stated feeling singled out for blame for the club's poor start to the season.

“It's unbelievable … 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 occasion in my career. I’m very, very disappointed.”

Another significant top-flight development was Arsenal's last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's decisive strike. This outcome, coupled with City's straightforward 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 his MLS side as they triumphed the league championship, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

The Seagulls host the Hammers for an afternoon kickoff. West Ham have shown flickers of improvement under the arrival of manager Nuno. A creditable midweek draw means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last season's cup quarter-final. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth successive victory on the road in the Premier League, having beaten three opponents to nil in their recent travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup second round provided lots of excitement yesterday. National League South side the Seagulls made history by advancing to the third round for the first time ever.

Additional standout outcomes included:

• Swindon Town hammered Bolton Wanderers – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge defeated Stockport on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton FC led against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 loss.

Today's FA Cup schedule features:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

There seems to be three distinct battlegroups developing in this season's top flight.

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are seemingly contending for the top prize.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested group contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the top five. Will any string together a winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to avoid the drop likely concerns several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking particularly in trouble. Clubs such as others could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and domestic cup, today's fixtures 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 Mohamed Salah's explosive interview rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the argument. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to voice his frustration as a true club icon? On the other, is boss Slot right in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win matches?

Fan opinion seems split:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Can we take a moment 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 Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Could he seek a loan to another European club? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and move to Saudi Arabia after the AFCON?

Sad News from the Championship

A pair of second-tier fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The game between Charlton and Portsmouth at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the fan passed away 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 occasion this season at the ground – rendered the pitch unsuitable.

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