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Introduction

Hello and welcome to another weekend morning. We bring you your comprehensive matchday coverage hub, focusing on the day's key football fixtures. England's top division presents intriguing contests between Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish encounter between Celtic and Hearts, coupled with Women's Super League action plus FA Cup second round drama completes the schedule. As always send us your views telling us how you'll be following the action. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the spotlight despite not featuring in Liverpool's thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an remarkable attack on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “to the wolves” after omission from the starting lineup for the third straight game. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the team's disappointing beginning to the campaign.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” the Egyptian reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my career. I am extremely disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League story saw Arsenal's injury-time loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's winning strike. That result, coupled with Manchester City's straightforward win over Sunderland, makes for a incredibly close race at the summit of the table.

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 showpiece.

Today's Premier League Fixtures

Brighton host West Ham in a 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have displayed signs of life under the appointment 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 against Crystal Palace is a rematch of last season's cup last-eight tie. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight victory on the road in the Premier League, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their recent away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

The FA Cup second round provided plenty of excitement yesterday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the next round for the first time in their history.

Additional notable outcomes included:

• Swindon hammered Bolton Wanderers – a league above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport on penalties.
• Sixth tier Buxton led against Cheltenham before finally enduring 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

The Premier League's Three Tiers

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

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are apparently contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight section includes several big names, all with aspirations for the European places. Will any put together a winning run to threaten the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers appearing especially vulnerable. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Outside the English top flight and domestic cup, today'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)

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's comments rages on. There are two distinct sides to the debate. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? Or is boss Arne Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win matches?

Fan opinion seems split:

“United fan here. 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 club legend.”

“Can we pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for the Egyptian king, then? Many think his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Could he move on loan to another European club? Or will he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

Two Championship matches were called off yesterday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the early stages after a fan was taken ill. It was later confirmed the supporter died in hospital.
• Blackburn's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – rendered the field unsuitable.

There is no word yet on when either game will be rescheduled.