The Premier League weekend is in full swing, with several intriguing matches already concluded and more to come. All eyes are on Brighton as they prepare to host West Ham, while Fulham will face Crystal Palace in a repeat of last year's FA Cup final. Crystal Palace, motivated to jump into the top five, are eyeing a fourth successive away win in the league, having previously defeated Burnley, Wolves, and Liverpool without conceding a goal in their last three away games. West Ham, since the appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo, have shown flickers of life, and after a creditable midweek draw at Old Trafford, the former Wolves and Nottingham Forest manager has overseen one defeat in five games since the start of November.
Yesterday's Premier League action saw several notable results. Ao Tanaka's late goal secured a 3-3 draw for Leeds against Liverpool, overshadowing a potential outburst from Mohamed Salah. Manchester City maintained pressure on Arsenal with a 3-0 victory over Sunderland, while Tottenham rediscovered their winning form at home with a 2-0 win against Brentford. Everton continued their resurgence, condemning Sean Dyche to a miserable return to Nottingham Forest with a stylish performance. Aston Villa edged Arsenal 2-1 in a thrilling match, with Buendía scoring the decisive goal in the final moments. Chelsea, however, continued to lose ground after a stalemate against Bournemouth, also suffering a blow with an injury to Delap.
In other news, Liverpool manager Arne Slot had controversially benched Mohamed Salah in the win against West Ham. There are also reports that Liverpool are favoring Antoine Semenyo over Bayern Munich's Michael Olise in the transfer market, while Galatasaray is rumored to be interested in Mohamed Salah.
Meanwhile, the FA Cup second round delivered its usual dose of drama and excitement. League Two side Swindon Town stunned Bolton Wanderers, who play in League One, with an emphatic 4-0 victory, Aaron Drinan bagging a hat-trick. Weston-super-Mare, from the National League South, made history by reaching the third round for the first time ever, after getting the better of fellow sixth-tier outfit Chelmsford 2-0 away from home. Buxton, another sixth-tier side, narrowly missed out on a place in the third round for the first time since 1951-52, after losing to Cheltenham Town.
Several other ties went the distance, with Mansfield Town, Cambridge United, Fleetwood Town and Wigan Athletic all requiring penalties to secure their places in the next round. The lowest-ranked side left in the draw is Slough Town, who will face fellow sixth-tier side Macclesfield. Brackley Town, from the National League, will host Burton Albion in the round's final televised fixture. The draw for the third round was held on November 3, with the Premier League and Championship teams set to enter the competition at this stage.
