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Opening Thoughts

Good morning on this weekend day. We bring you your comprehensive matchday live hub, centering on today's key football action. The Premier League presents fascinating contests featuring Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish encounter between Celtic and Hearts, coupled with WSL games and FA Cup round two excitement completes the lineup. Feel free to get in touch and let us know your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah grabbed the spotlight despite not featuring in the Reds' thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an remarkable critique on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “to the wolves” following being left out the first eleven for the third consecutive match. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the club's poor beginning to the campaign.

“It's unbelievable … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian stated. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The other major Premier League development saw the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emi Buendía's winning goal. This outcome, coupled with Manchester City's comfortable win over Sunderland, makes for a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Outside English football, the Argentine maestro as ever wrote the script for his MLS side as they triumphed the league championship, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

The Seagulls welcome West Ham for an 2pm GMT kickoff. West Ham have displayed signs of improvement since the arrival of manager Nuno. 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 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.

Cup Action Continues

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

Other notable outcomes included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge beat Stockport County on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham Town before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.

Sunday's cup action includes:

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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

There seems to be three separate battlegroups developing in this season's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight section contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Can any put together a consistent form to challenge the elite?
3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to avoid the drop likely concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially vulnerable. Clubs such as others could also be dragged into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the Premier League and domestic cup, today's schedule include:

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)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview continues. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the argument. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is manager Arne Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win games?

Views from supporters seems divided:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If memory serves, Salah was PFA 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 take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Will he move on loan to another European club? Might he take the pay day and head for Saudi Arabia after the AFCON?

Sad News from the Championship

Two Championship matches were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton 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 occasion this season at the ground – rendered the pitch unplayable.

There is no confirmation on when either game will be replayed.