Premier League Preview and Football Association Cup Round Two Developments and Additional Coverage
Introduction
Hello and welcome to another Sunday day. We bring you your comprehensive football live center, focusing on today's key football action. The Premier League presents fascinating contests featuring the Seagulls and the Hammers as well as the Cottagers and the Eagles. On top of that, a crucial Scottish encounter sees Celtic and Hearts, coupled with Women's Super League action plus cup round two excitement completes the lineup. As always get in touch telling us your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.
Major Stories from Saturday
Mohamed Salah commandeered the headlines even though he did not play in the Reds' hectic 3-3 draw at Elland Road. He launched an remarkable critique on boss Arne Slot, accusing him of tossing him “under the bus” after being left out the first eleven for the third consecutive game. He expressed feeling made a scapegoat for the club's poor start to the campaign.
“It's unbelievable … I’m sitting on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah stated. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”
The other major top-flight story saw the Gunners' last-gasp loss at Villa Park, courtesy of by Emi Buendía's winning goal. That result, coupled with City's comfortable win over the Black Cats, makes for a very tight race at the top of the table.
Outside the English leagues, Lionel Messi once again played the hero for Inter Miami as they triumphed the league championship, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the final.
Today's Premier League Fixtures
The Seagulls host the Hammers for an afternoon start. West Ham have shown flickers of life under the appointment of head coach Nuno Espírito Santo. A creditable point at Manchester United means he has overseen a run of just one defeat in their last five.
Fulham versus Palace is a repeat of last season's FA Cup last-eight tie. The Eagles are eyeing a fourth successive away win in the league, having beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their latest travels.
Cup Action Continues
England's famous cup competition round two delivered lots of drama yesterday. National League South side the Seagulls created a historic moment by reaching the third round for the first time in their history.
Additional notable results featured:
- Swindon hammered Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
- Cambridge beat Stockport County on penalties.
- Non-league Buxton FC led against Cheltenham Town before finally suffering a 6-2 loss.
Sunday's FA Cup schedule features:
- Slough Town v Macclesfield (12.30pm GMT kickoff)
- 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 campaign's top flight.
- The Title Race: The current leading pack are seemingly vying for the championship.
- The Packed Middle: A very tight group includes Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with designs on the top five. Will any put together a consistent form to threaten the elite?
- The Fight for Survival: The dogfight to avoid the drop probably involves Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Burnley and West Ham, with Wolves appearing particularly vulnerable. Clubs such as others could also be dragged into the fight.
Elsewhere in Football
Outside the Premier League and FA Cup, Sunday's fixtures 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)
The Salah Debate Continues
The reaction from Mohamed Salah's comments rages on. Opinion is split into two clear camps to the argument. Has he done enough to speak out as a bona fide club icon? Or is manager Slot right in doing whatever it takes to attempt to win matches?
Fan opinion seems divided:
“United fan here. If memory serves, Salah was the players' player of the year 6 months ago and now he’s the main target. Not the way to treat a club legend.”
“Can we take a moment to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably forgotten that he is presently Liverpool's highest ever earning player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”
What next for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his bridges at Liverpool may now be burned. Will he seek a loan to another European club? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and move to the Saudi Pro League after the AFCON?
Sad News from the Championship
Two second-tier fixtures were called off on Saturday.
- The game between Charlton Athletic and Portsmouth at The Valley was halted in the 12th minute after a fan was taken ill. It was later confirmed the fan passed away 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 – rendered the field unplayable.
At this time, there is no confirmation on when these matches will be rescheduled.