Premier League Preview alongside Football Association Cup Second Round Updates plus Additional Coverage
Introduction
Morning everyone on this Sunday morning. We bring you your all-in-one football coverage hub, centering on the day's key football action. The Premier League offers intriguing matches between Brighton & West Ham as well as Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish Premiership encounter sees Celtic and Hearts, coupled with Women's Super League games and cup round two excitement completes the schedule. As always get in touch and let us know your plans for watching the action. Here we go.
Major Stories from Saturday
Mohamed Salah stole the headlines even though he did not play in the Reds' thrilling 3-3 draw at Elland Road. Salah delivered an remarkable critique on boss Arne Slot, claiming him of throwing him “to the wolves” after omission from the starting lineup for the third consecutive game. He expressed that he felt made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the season.
“I can’t believe … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “This is the third match on the bench, I think for the first time in my career. I’m very, very disappointed.”
The other major top-flight story was Arsenal's injury-time defeat at Villa Park, sealed by Emi Buendía's winning goal. This outcome, combined with City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a incredibly close race at the summit of the table.
Away from the English leagues, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for his MLS side as they lifted the MLS Cup, beating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.
Sunday's Top-Flight Matches
Brighton welcome the Hammers in a 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of life under the arrival of manager Nuno Espírito Santo. An impressive midweek draw means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in their last five.
Fulham against Crystal Palace is a rematch of last year's cup quarter-final. Crystal Palace are eyeing a fourth straight away win in the Premier League, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest away fixtures.
Cup Action Continues
England's famous cup competition second round delivered lots of drama yesterday. National League South side the Seagulls created a historic moment by advancing to the third round for the first time in their history.
Other standout results included:
- Swindon Town thrashed Bolton Wanderers – a league above them – 4-0.
- Cambridge beat Stockport County on penalties.
- Sixth tier Buxton FC were ahead against Cheltenham Town before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.
Sunday's cup schedule features:
- Slough Town v Macclesfield (12.30pm GMT start)
- Boreham Wood v Newport County
- Gateshead v Walsall
- Blackpool v Carlisle United
Developing Mini-Leagues
It appears three distinct battlegroups developing in this season's Premier League.
- The Title Race: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are seemingly contending for the championship.
- The Mid-Table Scramble: A very tight section contains several big names, all with aspirations for the top five. Can any put together a winning run to threaten the top teams?
- The Relegation Battle: The scrap to stay up probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves looking especially in trouble. Teams like Brentford or Fulham could also be dragged into the fight.
Elsewhere in Football
Away from the English top flight and domestic cup, today'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 reaction from Mohamed Salah's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the argument. On one hand, has Salah earned the right to voice his frustration as a true club icon? Or is boss Slot justified in doing whatever it takes to try to win matches?
Views from supporters seems divided:
“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. This is no way to treat a legend of the club.”
“Perhaps we should pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is currently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”
What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be damaged. Could he seek a loan to a club abroad? Or will he take the pay day and head for Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?
Sad News from the Championship
A pair of second-tier matches were abandoned on Saturday.
- The game between Charlton and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the early stages after a fan 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 pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – made the field unsuitable.
At this time, there is no word yet on when these matches will be rescheduled.