Top Flight Preview alongside Football Association Cup Round Two Updates and Additional Coverage

Preamble

Hello and welcome to another Sunday day. We bring you your comprehensive matchday coverage center, focusing on today's major football fixtures. England's top division offers fascinating matches between the Seagulls and the Hammers and Fulham & Crystal Palace. On top of that, a crucial Scottish clash between the Hoops and the Jambos, coupled with Women's Super League games plus FA Cup second round excitement rounds out the lineup. We encourage share your thoughts and let us know your plans for watching today's games. Here we go.

Major Stories from Saturday

Mohamed Salah commandeered the spotlight despite was absent in Liverpool's hectic 3-3 draw at Elland Road. Salah delivered an stunning critique on boss the Dutch coach, accusing him of throwing him “under the bus” after omission from the first eleven for the third consecutive match. The player stated feeling singled out for blame for the team's disappointing start to the season.

“It's unbelievable … I am sat on the bench for 90 minutes,” Salah reportedly said. “The third time on the bench, perhaps for the first time in my professional life. I am extremely disappointed.”

The other major top-flight development saw the Gunners' last-gasp defeat at Villa Park, sealed by Emiliano Buendía's decisive goal. This outcome, coupled with Manchester City's comfortable victory over the Black Cats, makes for a incredibly close race at the top of the standings.

Away from English football, Lionel Messi as ever played the hero for Inter Miami as they lifted the league championship, defeating Vancouver 3-1 in the showpiece.

Sunday's Top-Flight Matches

The Seagulls welcome West Ham in a 2pm GMT kickoff. The visitors have shown flickers of improvement under the arrival of manager Nuno. A creditable midweek draw means he has presided over a run of only one loss in their last five.

Fulham versus 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 beaten Burnley, Wolves and Liverpool to nil in their latest travels.

The FA Cup Second Round

England's famous cup competition round two delivered plenty of excitement on Saturday. National League South side Weston-super-Mare created a historic moment by advancing to the third round for the first time in their history.

Other standout outcomes featured:

  • Swindon Town thrashed Bolton – a division above them – 4-0.
  • Cambridge defeated Stockport on penalties.
  • Sixth tier Buxton FC were ahead against Cheltenham before finally enduring a 6-2 defeat.

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 separate mini-leagues developing in this season's top flight.

  1. Championship Contenders: Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are apparently vying for the top prize.
  2. The Packed Middle: A incredibly congested section contains Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle and Manchester United, all with aspirations for the European places. Can any string together a winning run to threaten the elite?
  3. The Relegation Battle: The scrap to avoid the drop likely concerns several clubs, with Wolverhampton Wanderers looking particularly vulnerable. Teams like others could also be dragged into the fight.

Elsewhere in Football

Away from the English top flight and domestic cup, today's schedule 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)

European Football:

  • Real Madrid v Celta Vigo (8pm CET)
  • Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim (4.30pm CET)

The Salah Debate Continues

The fallout from the Liverpool forward's comments continues. Opinion is split into two distinct sides to the argument. Has he done enough to voice his frustration as a true Liverpool legend? On the other, is manager Slot right in doing what he believes is necessary to try to win matches?

Fan opinion 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 the main target. Not the way to treat a club legend.”
“Perhaps we should pause to feel sorry for Mo Salah? He's probably overlooked that he is presently Liverpool's best-paid player... Someone hard done by, Mo, you are not.”

The big question for Mo Salah, then? Speculation suggests his relationship with the club may now be damaged. Will he seek a loan to a club abroad? Or will he accept a lucrative offer and head for Saudi Arabia following the Africa Cup of Nations?

Matches Abandoned

Two Championship fixtures were abandoned on Saturday.

  • The match between Charlton Athletic and Pompey at The Valley was paused in the 12th minute after a fan was taken unwell. It was later announced the supporter passed away in hospital.
  • Blackburn Rovers's game against Sheffield Wednesday was also stopped and called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Ewood Park. Torrential rain – for the second occasion this season at the ground – rendered the field unsuitable.

At this time, there is no confirmation on when either game will be replayed.

David Herrera
David Herrera

A passionate software engineer with over a decade of experience in full-stack development and open-source contributions.