Top Flight Build-up and Football Association Cup Round Two Updates plus More
Introduction
Hello and welcome on this weekend morning. We bring you your all-in-one matchday live center, focusing on the day's key football action. England's top division presents fascinating contests featuring the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a top-of-the-table Scottish encounter sees the Hoops and the Jambos, alongside WSL games plus FA Cup second round excitement rounds out the lineup. We encourage get in touch and let us know your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.
Yesterday's Headlines
Liverpool's Egyptian star grabbed the headlines despite not featuring in the Reds' thrilling six-goal thriller at Elland Road. Salah delivered an stunning critique on boss the Dutch coach, claiming him of tossing him “to the wolves” after being left out the starting lineup for the third consecutive match. The player stated feeling made a scapegoat for the team's poor start 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, I think for the first time in my professional life. I’m very, very disappointed.”
The other significant top-flight development saw the Gunners' injury-time loss at Aston Villa, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's decisive strike. That result, combined with City's comfortable victory over Sunderland, makes for a very tight race at the top of the table.
Outside the English leagues, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for his MLS side as they triumphed the MLS Cup, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final.
Sunday's Top-Flight Matches
The Seagulls host West Ham in a 2pm GMT start. The visitors have shown flickers of life since the appointment of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable midweek draw means he has presided over a run of just one defeat in their last five.
Fulham versus Palace is a rematch of last year's FA Cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth straight victory on the road in the league, having defeated Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool without conceding in their latest travels.
The FA Cup Second Round
England's famous cup competition round two provided plenty of drama yesterday. Sixth-tier side Weston-super-Mare made history by advancing to the third round for the first time in their history.
Additional standout outcomes included:
- Swindon thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
- Cambridge United beat Stockport County on penalties.
- Non-league Buxton were ahead against Cheltenham before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.
Today's cup action 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 three distinct mini-leagues developing in this season's Premier League.
- The Title Race: The current leading pack are apparently vying for the top prize.
- The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section contains several big names, all with designs on the European places. Can any put together a winning run to challenge the elite?
- The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to stay up likely involves several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking particularly vulnerable. Teams like others could also be dragged into the battle.
Other Matches Today
Away from the Premier League and domestic cup, today's fixtures feature:
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)
The Salah Debate Continues
The fallout from Mohamed Salah's explosive interview continues. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the debate. Has he earned the right to speak out as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is boss Arne Slot justified in doing what he believes is necessary to attempt to win games?
Fan opinion seems split:
“United fan here. If I’m not mistaken, Salah was PFA Player of the Year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. Not the way to treat a legend of the club.”
“Can we pause to have sympathy for Mo Salah? He must have forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... A victim, Mo, you are not.”
The big question for Mo Salah, then? Many think his relationship with the club may now be burned. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the AFCON?
Matches Abandoned
A pair of second-tier matches were abandoned yesterday.
- The game between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the 12th minute after a supporter was taken unwell. It was later confirmed the fan died in hospital.
- Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Heavy rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – rendered the pitch unplayable.
At this time, there is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.
