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Preamble

Good morning to another Sunday morning. This is your all-in-one football live hub, highlighting today's major football fixtures. England's top division offers fascinating contests between 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, coupled with WSL games and FA Cup round two drama rounds out the schedule. As always share your thoughts and let us know your plans for watching the action. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the headlines despite was absent in the Reds' thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an remarkable critique on manager Arne Slot, claiming him of tossing him “to the wolves” after being left out the starting lineup for the third straight match. The player stated feeling made a scapegoat for the team's disappointing start to the campaign.

“I can’t believe … I’m sitting 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 professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

The other significant top-flight development was the Gunners' injury-time loss at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with City's comfortable win over the Black Cats, makes for a very tight battle at the summit of the table.

Away from English leagues, the Argentine maestro as ever played the hero for his MLS side as they lifted the league championship, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls host the Hammers for an 2pm GMT start. The visitors have shown flickers of life under the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable midweek draw means he has overseen a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham versus Palace is a repeat of last season's cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight victory on the road in the Premier League, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

The FA Cup round two delivered plenty of drama yesterday. National League South side the Seagulls made history by advancing to the next round for the first time ever.

Additional standout outcomes included:

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

Today's FA Cup schedule includes:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

It appears three separate mini-leagues forming in this campaign's top flight.

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are apparently vying for the championship.
2. The Packed Middle: A very tight group contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Will any string together a winning run to threaten the top teams?
3. The Relegation Battle: The dogfight to avoid the drop likely concerns several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking particularly vulnerable. Teams like others could also be sucked into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the English top flight and domestic cup, today'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)

European Football:

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

Ongoing Discussion About Liverpool's Star

The reaction from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview rages on. There are two clear camps to the argument. Has he done enough to speak out as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is manager Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to try to win games?

Views from supporters appears divided:

“United fan here. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was the players' player of the year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. Not the way to treat a club legend.”

“Perhaps we should pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably 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 relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Might he take the pay day and head for the Saudi Pro League following the AFCON?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier fixtures were abandoned on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the 12th minute after a fan was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the supporter passed away 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 – made the pitch unplayable.

At this time, there is no word yet on when these matches will be replayed.