Top Flight Preview and Football Association Cup Second Round Developments plus Additional Coverage

Preamble

Morning everyone on this weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one matchday coverage hub, highlighting today's key football fixtures. The Premier League presents fascinating matches between the Seagulls and the Hammers and the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish clash sees Celtic and Hearts, coupled with WSL action and cup second round excitement completes the lineup. As always get in touch telling us your plans for watching the action. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Mohamed Salah grabbed the spotlight even though he did not play in the Reds' hectic six-goal thriller at Leeds United. Salah delivered an astonishing critique on manager the Dutch coach, accusing him of throwing him “to the wolves” after omission from the first eleven for the third straight match. The player stated feeling singled out for blame for the club's disappointing beginning to the campaign.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat 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 am extremely disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League story was the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emi Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with Manchester City's straightforward victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight battle at the top of the table.

Outside English leagues, Lionel Messi as ever wrote the script for his MLS side as they triumphed the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome the Hammers for an 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of improvement since the appointment of manager Nuno. An impressive point at Manchester United means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in five games.

Fulham versus Palace is a repeat of last season's FA Cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having defeated three opponents to nil in their recent away fixtures.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition round two delivered plenty of drama on Saturday. National League South side the Seagulls made history by advancing to the next round for the first time ever.

Additional notable results included:

• Swindon hammered Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge beat Stockport on spot-kicks.
• Sixth tier Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

Sunday's FA Cup schedule includes:

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

Developing Mini-Leagues

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

1. The Title Race: The current leading pack are apparently contending for the championship.
2. The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight group contains several big names, all with aspirations for the European places. Will any string together a consistent form to threaten the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves appearing especially in trouble. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be sucked into the battle.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the Premier League and FA Cup, Sunday'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)

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 clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah done enough to speak out as a true club icon? Or is manager Arne Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win matches?

Views from supporters appears split:

“As a Manchester United supporter. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was the players' player of the year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. Not the way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Perhaps we should pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be burned. Could he seek a loan to another European club? Might he accept a lucrative offer and head for the Saudi Pro League after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two second-tier fixtures were abandoned on Saturday.

• The match between Charlton and Portsmouth 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 Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged playing surface at Ewood Park. Heavy rain – for the second time this season at the ground – made the pitch unplayable.

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