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Preamble

Hello and welcome on this Sunday day. We bring you your all-in-one matchday live center, highlighting today's key football action. England's top division presents fascinating matches featuring Brighton & West Ham and the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish Premiership clash sees Celtic and Hearts, coupled with WSL games plus FA Cup round two drama rounds out the lineup. We encourage share your thoughts telling us your plans for watching the action. Let's get into it.

Yesterday's Headlines

Liverpool's Egyptian star stole the headlines despite not featuring in the Reds' thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road. He launched an stunning critique on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the first eleven for the third consecutive match. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the team's poor beginning to the campaign.

“I can’t believe … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first occasion in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”

Another significant Premier League story was Arsenal's last-gasp loss at Villa Park, sealed by Emi Buendía's decisive goal. This outcome, combined with Manchester City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a incredibly close race at the summit of the standings.

Away from the English leagues, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

Brighton welcome West Ham for an 2pm GMT start. The visitors have displayed signs of improvement under the arrival of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable midweek draw means he has presided over a run of only one loss in five games.

Fulham against Crystal Palace is a repeat of last year's cup quarter-final. The Eagles are aiming for a fourth successive victory on the road in the Premier League, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their recent travels.

Cup Action Continues

England's famous cup competition round two provided lots of excitement on Saturday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the next round for the first time ever.

Additional standout results featured:

• Swindon thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
• Cambridge United beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
• Non-league Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham Town before eventually enduring a 6-2 loss.

Today's cup schedule 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

It appears a trio of distinct battlegroups developing in this season's Premier League.

1. The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly vying for the top prize.
2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the top five. Will any put together a winning run to challenge the elite?
3. The Fight for Survival: The scrap to stay up likely concerns Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially vulnerable. Teams like others could also be sucked into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the Premier League and domestic cup, Sunday's fixtures feature:

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 comments continues. There are two clear camps to the debate. On one hand, has Salah done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? Or is boss Arne Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win matches?

Views from supporters seems divided:

“United fan here. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s chief scapegoat. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”

“Can we take a moment to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He must have overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Could he move on loan to another European club? Might he take the pay day and move to Saudi Arabia after the Africa Cup of Nations?

Sad News from the Championship

A pair of Championship matches were called off yesterday.

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

There is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.