Top Flight Preview alongside Football Association Cup Round Two Updates and Additional Coverage
Preamble
Morning everyone to another Sunday morning. This is your all-in-one football coverage center, highlighting the day's key soccer fixtures. The Premier League presents intriguing contests featuring Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish clash sees Celtic and Hearts, alongside Women's Super League action and FA Cup round two excitement rounds out the lineup. Feel free to share your thoughts and let us know how you'll be following today's games. Let's get into it.
Major Stories from Saturday
Mohamed Salah grabbed the headlines even though he did not play in the Reds' hectic six-goal thriller at Elland Road. He launched an astonishing critique on manager the Dutch coach, claiming him of throwing him “to the wolves” following omission from the starting lineup for the third straight match. He expressed feeling singled out for blame for the club's disappointing start to the season.
“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”
Another significant top-flight development was the Gunners' injury-time defeat at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's decisive goal. That result, coupled with City's straightforward victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight battle at the top of the standings.
Outside English football, 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
Brighton host the Hammers for an 2pm GMT start. West Ham have shown flickers of life under the arrival 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 rematch of last year's cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are aiming for a fourth straight away win in the league, having defeated three opponents to nil in their recent away fixtures.
The FA Cup Second Round
The FA Cup second round delivered lots of drama on Saturday. Sixth-tier side the Seagulls created a historic moment by reaching the next round for the first time in their history.
Other standout results included:
- Swindon hammered Bolton Wanderers – a division above them – 4-0.
- Cambridge beat Stockport County on spot-kicks.
- Sixth tier Buxton led against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.
Sunday's cup schedule 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 mini-leagues forming in this campaign's top flight.
- Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly contending for the championship.
- The Mid-Table Scramble: A incredibly congested group includes several big names, all with designs on the top five. Will any string together a winning run to threaten the top teams?
- The Fight for Survival: The scrap to avoid the drop probably concerns several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking especially in trouble. Clubs such as Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the battle.
Elsewhere in Football
Outside the English top flight and FA Cup, today's schedule include:
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 the Liverpool forward's comments continues. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the argument. On one hand, has Salah done enough to speak out as a bona fide club icon? On the other, is boss Arne Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win games?
Views from supporters seems 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. 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 forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's best-paid player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”
What next for Mo Salah, then? Many think 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 Africa Cup of Nations?
Matches Abandoned
A pair of Championship matches were abandoned on Saturday.
- The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a fan was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the fan died in hospital.
- Blackburn'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 – rendered the field unplayable.
There is no word yet on when these matches will be replayed.
