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Preamble

Hello and welcome to another weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one matchday live hub, highlighting today's major soccer fixtures. England's top division presents intriguing contests featuring the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership clash between Celtic and Hearts, alongside Women's Super League games and FA Cup round two drama rounds out the schedule. As always get in touch telling us your plans for watching the action. Without further ado.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah stole the headlines even though he did not play in Liverpool's hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an astonishing critique on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the starting lineup for the third straight match. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the campaign.

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

Another major Premier League story was the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, courtesy of by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with Manchester City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, has left a incredibly close race at the summit of the standings.

Outside English leagues, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero 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 start. West Ham have shown flickers of life under the arrival of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in their last five.

Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last season's cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup round two delivered plenty of excitement yesterday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare made history by reaching the third round for the first time in their history.

Other standout results included:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United defeated Stockport on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton led against Cheltenham before eventually enduring a 6-2 loss.

Sunday's FA Cup action features:

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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

There seems to be a trio of separate battlegroups forming in this season's top flight.

1. Championship Contenders: The current leading pack are apparently vying for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight group contains several big names, all with aspirations for the European places. Can any string together a winning run to challenge the top teams?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to stay up likely concerns several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing especially vulnerable. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the English top flight and FA Cup, Sunday'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)

Around the Continent:

• Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (8pm CET)
• Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim (4.30pm CET)

The Salah Debate Continues

The fallout from Mohamed Salah's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to speak out as a true club icon? On the other, is manager Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win matches?

Views from supporters appears divided:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA 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 take a moment to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for the Egyptian king, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he move on loan to a club abroad? Or will he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier fixtures were abandoned yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later announced the fan died 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 occasion this season at the ground – rendered the field unsuitable.

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