Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said there was still room for improvement after his side cruised to a 3-0 home Premier League win against Nottingham Forest.

Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez scored within the space of four minutes before the interval to put Liverpool in control and Mohamed Salah struck his eighth league goal of the season in the second half.

Klopp’s side made it five wins from as many league games at Anfield this season – their eighth in a row in all competitions – and sit three points behind leaders Tottenham.

Klopp said: “If you’re chasing a game it’s obviously a completely different task, but if you are in complete control you should stay in control.

“The last five minutes I think before half-time, all of a sudden we were a bit too deep and they just could chip the balls there and these are moments we have to improve, clearly.

“In creative situations you can always improve because the boys have a lot of potential and we have to use it fully.”

Once Liverpool broke the deadlock there was no way back for injury-hit Forest, but Klopp still remains wary of his side’s ability to protect a lead in front of their own fans.

“You might remember three or four years ago, all of a sudden we became slightly more dominant and were leading at home and always came under pressure,” he said.

“Like one-nil up meant nothing. Everybody thought ‘Oh my god, 1-0, 10 minutes to go!’ Maybe they saw the equaliser coming and that’s the situation you have to grow into and the boys showed wonderful signs in all aspects.

“That’s now something we have to learn again because the key positions are obviously occupied by different players than that time, up front, midfield, last line.

“So that’s the space for improvement. Creating without losing the compactness is pretty much the idea.”

Forest’s winless league run was extended to six league games and head coach Steve Cooper admitted it had been a torrid 90 minutes.

He said: “For sure it is a tough afternoon. Coming into the game, you know you have to play really well and commit to a plan in order to get some success in the game.

“We were forced into some player selection, formation and plans through the unfortunate situation with attacking players. We had to go with a couple of players out of position.”

Cooper was without a recognised central striker after Chris Wood (hamstring) was a late withdrawal, with Taiwo Awoniyi returning to the bench after a groin injury.

“We only had one player who could play as a number nine in Anthony (Elanga),” Cooper added.

“It’s a position which is a little bit foreign to him anyway and two days ago we didn’t think he would be available because of illness.”

Erling Haaland’s double helped Manchester City secure derby day delight as lifeless rivals Manchester United were outclassed in an embarrassing home defeat.

The eyes of the footballing world were on Old Trafford as the neighbours met in the 191st Manchester derby and first since Pep Guardiola’s men matched their 1999 treble triumph.

Haaland scored a spot-kick and unmarked header before playing in Phil Foden to wrap up 3-0 victory, yet City’s dominance was far greater than the scoreline suggests.

It was an abrupt end to an unconvincing three-match winning run in all competitions for Erik ten Hag’s United, who have now lost five of their 10 opening Premier League games.

Haaland put City ahead midway through the first half from a penalty awarded after the VAR spotted a supposed Rasmus Hojlund tug on Rodri.

Ragtag defending allowed Haaland to head home another in a one-sided win that Foden added late gloss to.

It would have been worse was it not for Andre Onana’s saves on a day when United fans booed Ten Hag’s decision to replace Hojlund.

It was an ugly end to an emotional week for United, who again remembered the late, great Sir Bobby Charlton on Sunday.

Those clad in red and blue applauded in unity before a match that City dominated from the outset.

Just eight minutes were on the clock when Rodri’s diagonal ball was nodded back by Kyle Walker to Foden, who got away a powerful close-range header that Onana stopped.

The ball looped up and would have been bundled home by Haaland was it not for the goalkeeper’s reactions.

It was a let-off and Onana denied Jack Grealish before City were awarded a penalty.

VAR Michael Oliver instructed Paul Tierney to go to the pitchside monitor to review a potential pull by Hojlund on Rodri when a free-kick came over.

The referee eventually pointed to spot and Haaland kept his cool, sending Onana the wrong way and wheeling off in celebration in front of the furious home fans.

That 26th minute gut punch emboldened City and hushed the Old Trafford faithful, leading to tongue-in-cheek chants from away fans comparing the atmosphere to the Etihad Stadium.

City were dominant for the remainder of the opening period as they pushed for a second few could argue with, but United had two big opportunities to level.

First Hojlund roared onto a loose ball and rounded Ederson, before eventually cutting back for Bruno Fernandes to laser over.

In hindsight, the young striker may wish he had gone down after John Stones’ physical defending in the build-up.

United went closer still in stoppage time as Marcus Rashford’s first-time sweeping ball put Scott McTominay behind to take a touch and get away a strike tipped over by Ederson.

That moment increased the volume inside Old Trafford, as did Onana’s outstanding reaction save from Haaland’s close-range header.

It looked like a potentially game-changing moment, but the City sharpshooter would not be denied a second for long.

After Fernandes and Foden traded efforts, the visitors capitalised on United’s poor defensive structure and Bernardo Silva clipped a cross to unmarked Haaland to head home at the far post.

“Mind the gap, Man United” chanted the pocket of elated City fans, who saw Onana prevent Grealish from adding to the 49th-minute header.

The England attacking midfielder sent over a cross-shot as Haaland went down claiming a penalty as the away fans continued to make themselves heard.

A brief flicker of United hope quickly faded as Rashford’s smart touch and strike went across the face of goal, before City returned to the attack.

Onana spread himself well to stop Haaland wrapping up his hat-trick before Ten Hag’s decision to replace Hojlund with Garnacho was met by widespread boos.

Grealish saw a deflected shot fly wide before Onana was eventually beaten again in the 80th minute.

Haaland was the provider this time around. Rodri’s shot was pushed by Onana into the path of the striker, who passed in for Foden to score.

The goalscorer tried to add an overhead kick as some United fans headed for any early exit. Given their side’s poor performance, few could blame them. All they missed was petulance as the clock wound down.

A familiar name could prove the biggest threat to Inspiral in the Maker’s Mark Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf, as Fev Rover attempts to exert her recent dominance in North America at Santa Anita.

A winner of the Star Stakes and a Deauville Group Two when trained by Richard Fahey, the daughter of Gutaifan also placed in the 2021 edition of the 1000 Guineas during her time racing in Britain.

Sold to Tracy Farmer for 695,000 guineas at the end of that year, Fev Rover joined Mark Casse and the mare has improved with age, culminating in some stellar displays this season.

Having kicked off her five-year-old campaign with victory in Woodbine’s Nassau Stakes, she added Grade One triumphs in both the Beverly D Stakes and when accounting for Charlie Appleby’s With The Moonlight in the E.P Taylor Stakes and now finds herself as short as 7-1 with some British bookmakers for Breeders’ Cup glory.

Casse of course is no stranger to beating the Europeans on turf having saddled Tepin to strike at Royal Ascot in 2016 and the Hall Of Fame handler believes Fev Rover has all the right qualities to thrive around the tight turns of the famous California venue.

“I think Fev Rover has a big chance and she is training well,” said Casse.

“It looks like a real international race and obviously it is not going to be easy, but she is doing well and as far as things in North America go, she has kind of stamped herself as one of the better turf horses, that’s for sure.

“Her race at Saratoga was very good in the Diana (Stakes) and of course she won Beverley D. Both of those were around similar type turns and one thing about her, and I think it is one of the reasons why she is pretty good, is she is very versatile.

“If there is no speed she can go to the lead and if there is speed she can sit off them. She kind of makes her own race which is nice, she is not dependant on others.”

Fev Rover’s fine season could not only see her provide her decorated handler with a seventh victory at the Breeders’ Cup, but has also put the mare in prime position to be named Canadian Horse of the Year.

That is an accolade Casse feels would be fully justified having seen the mare mature into the full package this term.

“Looking at everyone’s accomplishments, as of today, she would be the favourite for horse of the year,” added the trainer.

“The only thing would be if one of the Canadian horses won at the Breeders’ Cup, that might hurt her chances.

“She has really grown up. Her physique and everything changed a lot from four to five and she’s a really stout filly now. She has just got really good and her behaviour is much better. She could misbehave some times but as she’s got older, she has got a little smarter about that.”

The Filly & Mare Turf last went to a North American-trained contender in 2018 and joining John and Thady Gosden’s Inspiral for the journey across the Atlantic is Aidan O’Brien’s Yorkshire Oaks and Prix Vermeille heroine Warm Heart along with the Joseph O’Brien-trained Lumiere Rock and State Occasion for Ralph Beckett.

Casse is predicting that fearsome contingent of raiders – as well as Japanese candidate Win Marilyn – to once again present a stern challenge, but the experienced handler prefers to concentrate solely on the prospects of Fev Rover and seeing her pony to post in the best possible shape.

“I’m worried about six or seven of them! I’m sure the Euros will be tough, they always are,” he said when asked about the opposition.

“But in all honesty though, I kind of just worry about my own horse. There is nothing I can do about the competition so I don’t fret about it. I figure it is what it is and we have to try to beat them.”

Roberto De Zerbi was frustrated with Brighton’s 1-1 draw against Fulham but insisted there were positives to their performance at Amex Stadium.

Joao Palhinha’s stunning 65th-minute equaliser cancelled out Evan Ferguson’s opener as Fulham fought to earn a point on the road.

And De Zerbi believes the Seagulls lacked a cutting edge on a day where they rued missed first-half opportunities.

“I am really frustrated and disappointed with the result,” De Zerbi said.

“I think we played a great game, especially three days after the Ajax game at home (a 2-0 win in the Europa League). It was a fantastic first half but we could have scored more.

“In the second half we played well. We conceded a goal only in one moment and when we lost distances we lost balance and then there was only one team on the pitch (Fulham).

“Last season we lost three points against Fulham and this season we dropped another two points and we are frustrated with the result.”

Ireland international Ferguson scored Brighton’s opener with a quality finish past goalkeeper Bernd Leno and into the bottom corner.

But boss De Zerbi insisted his striker is not playing at his full capacity despite scoring five times in 10 appearances in the Premier League.

He added: “Ferguson is not in his best moment but he’s a different player for us and a different type of striker we have in the squad and I think he could play better but he’s not in the best moment, he played a good game.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva believes Fulham were not at their best and showed Brighton “too much respect”.

He said: “In the first half we did not reach the standards we should if we want to compete at this level. We were not sharp enough to play the way we would like to play.

“We were not aggressive and showed them too much respect. They won most of the challenges and we were not at the level with the pressure.

“They won most of the second balls, we cannot be erratic if we want to play under pressure and make the right decisions. The goal we conceded is a good example and we have to make better decisions and be less erratic.

“I have to give credit to the players in the second half in the way they believed and they expressed themselves on the pitch.”

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery believes his side can be top-four contenders this season if they continue their remarkable progression.

Villa have improved exponentially under the Spaniard’s regime and posted a 12th successive Premier League home win after they beat Luton 3-1 at Villa Park.

Goals from John McGinn and Moussa Diaby gave them the upper hand before Luton captain Tom Lockyer put through his own net. An Emiliano Martinez own goal got Luton on the scoresheet in the final 10 minutes, but it was Villa’s afternoon.

They have lost twice this season – to Newcastle and Liverpool – and Emery wants his side to keep improving.

“You have to be very demanding and focus each on match,” he said of his side’s chances.

“We are winning matches because we are being very focused, we are being very demanding in our defensive structure, we are trying to build a team with high commitment.

“We are between another seven teams, they show their power consistently. But if we are working like that and doing this process, being demanding, being strong, of course we can progress and still keep the moment we have now in the table.

“I want to face each match being focused, preparing properly and being demanding.

“We have played Liverpool and Newcastle and they were better than us. When we lost against Liverpool and Newcastle, I told the players I want to reduce the distance they showed when they come here.”

They have not lost on home soil since they lost 4-2 to Arsenal on February 18, but Emery thinks there is more to come.

“There is still a lot of work to do and still a lot of things we can improve.

“Tactically, try to be more consistent for 90 minutes. I am very happy but I think there are things that can improve,” he added.

Luton boss Rob Edwards knows that his side’s season will not be judged on games like this.

“Let’s be honest, today was a difficult afternoon for us. There is a gulf between the two teams, at the moment Aston Villa are an exceptional team, in a great moment, confident, brilliant manager and very good players. At 3-0 down with 30 minutes to go I’m on the touchline thinking, ‘This is difficult’.

“I’m really pleased with how the players stayed in it, stayed committed, that was important. It’s important the fans can see we never ever give in and stick at it.

“It was a difficult afternoon but proud of how we stuck to the task.

“Today wasn’t going to define us, we know that, we are in a different battle to Aston Villa at the moment, there is a difference in the teams, but we have to learn from it.

“I want to make us better and me better.”

Inthewaterside could be set for a step up in class after emerging victorious in the Jewson Birkenhead, Price Street Maiden Hurdle at Aintree.

Sent off the 4-7 favourite for trainer Paul Nicholls and jockey Harry Cobden, Inthewaterside was made to work hard for his prize, with Jagwar pushing him all the way to the line before being beaten just a head.

The Ditcheat handler could now raise his sights with the five-year-old, who also won each of his two bumper starts last term.

Nicholls said: “He was a bit keen and he did well to win pulling as hard as he did. There is plenty of improvement in him.

“That bit of experience will have done him the world of good, but you can see he is ultimately going to be a chaser.

“I’d half had in my mind to have a look at the Winter Novices’ Hurdle at Sandown Park with him. He is not a horse you want to run too much. I would not be averse to dropping back to two miles as he is not short of speed.

“It was probably not a bad race, but he has done well winning it considering he did everything the wrong way round.”

Cobden later completed a double aboard the Joe Tizzard-trained Sunset Marquesa (12-1) in the Jewson Southport, Bispham Road EBF Mares’ Open National Hunt Flat Race.

Elizabeth Gale steered Celebre D’Allen (3-1 favourite) to a clear-cut victory in the Jewson Vieux Lion Rouge Veterans’ Handicap Chase.

The 10lb-claimer was enjoying the biggest success of her fledging career less than three years after recovering from breaking two vertebrae in a point-to-point fall.

Trained by Philip Hobbs and Johnson White, Celebre D’Allen made steady progress through the field to grab the lead before the penultimate fence and cost home by 16 lengths – his first win since February 2022.

Gale said: “It was easier than I thought it was going to be that’s for sure. He gave me a beautiful ride around. It was his first run of the season since running in the Topham, so the aim was to just get him jumping really. He is an 11-year-old and he has seen it out beautifully.

“I used to come here as a kid with pony club and I never thought I would be walking down those steps. It is a massive deal for me, especially to ride a winner here.

“I’ve had a long road to get here and anything I get is a bonus. A massive thanks to the governor and Johnson White. I’ve been there four seasons and I missed a good bit through injury, but I can’t complain as they look after me.”

Equinus (5-2 favourite) kicked off a double for Nigel Twiston-Davies in the opening Jewson Click And Collect Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle, with jockey James Turner guiding him to a five-length win.

Twiston-Davies then teamed up with his son Sam to take the Jewson St Helens Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase with Master Chewy (2-1).

Following his 12-length win, Master Chewy could now head for the Grade Two SSS Super Alloys Arkle Challenge Trophy Trial Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham on November 17.

The winning trainer said: “That was just excellent. He has always been superb over them (fences) at home. The future is bright. I think we will have to look at proper novice chase races.

“Very possibly we could go to Cheltenham for the two-mile novices’ chase there, why not.”

Crambo (11-8 favourite) made the most of a drop in class when claiming a cosy two-and-a-quarter-length verdict in the Jewson Handicap Hurdle.

He failed to sparkle in Grade One company at the Grand National meeting back in April, but moved to handicap company by trainer Fergal O’Brien, Crambo was far from extended in the hands of Connor Brace.

Sally Randell, O’Brien’s assistant trainer, said: “That was great. He was unlucky here at the Grand National Festival. He got no kind of run, and he had a bit of bad luck. Back down in a handicap he has done it well.

“I think we will look at some of those nice staying handicaps now with him. Hopefully he might be a bit better than that.”

Substitute Danilo headed in a dramatic added-time winner against Hearts as Rangers won 2-1 to close the gap behind Celtic at the top of the cinch Premiership to five points.

The league leaders dropped two points at Hibernian on Saturday but the Gers’ prospects of taking advantage dipped when Jambos skipper Lawrence Shankland gave the visitors the lead after five minutes with a stunning header.

The mood inside Ibrox was not helped when skipper James Tavernier smacked the post with a penalty at the end of the first half and there was more woe when midfielder Nicolas Raskin was taken from the field on a stretcher after sustaining an injury in shooting.

However, within final minutes of normal time Philippe Clement’s side were awarded a second penalty after a VAR check for a Peter Haring foul on Connor Goldson and this time Tavernier slammed the ball in and in added time Brazilian striker Danilo, on for Cyriel Dessers at the start of the second half, nodded in for a victory which had looked unlikely for most of the afternoon.

Clement had resisted the opportunity to make radical changes following the gruelling goalless Europa League draw against Sparta Prague on Thursday night.

Ridvan Yilmaz, ineligible for the game in Prague, was reinstated at left-back as Rangers returned to a back four, with John Souttar dropping out.

Steven Naismith brought in defender Odeluga Offiah and midfielders Beni Baningime and Jorge Grant with Cammy Devlin and Alan Forrest dropping to the bench, while on-loan midfielder Alex Lowry could  not play against his parent club, who were shocked by the loss of an early goal.

Wing-back Alex Cochrane took possession on the left and swung a right-footed cross into the Gers box and over the head of Yilmaz for Shankland to almost casually head past keeper Jack Butland.

It was the first goal lost under Clement and the home fans were not happy with the deficit or the reaction from Rangers.

In the 27th minute, following a corner from Tavernier which was met by Goldson, Shankland cleared Dessers’ effort from close range off the line.

However, moments later, the anger from the Ibrox stands when Hearts attacker Kenneth Vargas drove over the bar after taking a Shankland pass was unmistakeable.

Attacker Abdallah Sima headed a Yilmaz free-kick wide of the target in the 34th minute before Hearts’ Stephen Kingsley replaced injured Odel Offiah.

Rangers were handed a lifeline right before the break when referee John Beaton pointed to the spot when Jambos defender Toby Sibbick tripped Todd Cantwell inside the box.

Tavernier sent Tynecastle keeper Zander Clark the wrong way with his spot-kick but the ball rebounded off the post and Hearts kept their goal intact.

There were pointed cheers when Brazilian striker Danilo replaced Dessers for the start of the second half and initially the home side looked in a hurry.

Midfielder Sam Lammers flicked a Yilmaz cut-back over the bar in the 55th minute before Raskin hit the side netting with a drive which left him injured and replaced by attacker Scott Wright.

Hearts remained resolute under constant pressure.

A 20-yard drive from Rangers midfielder John Lundstram escaped the far post, as did an effort from Tavernier but when Beaton was sent to check his pitchside monitor by VAR, he judged substitute Haring to have tugged Goldson’s shirt at a corner.

Tavernier drove in the penalty to level but there was more drama to come in the third of nine added minutes when Danilo rose at the back post to head in a Tavernier cross – suddenly all was well inside Ibrox.

Tyson Fury has been backed to defeat Oleksandr Usyk when the heavyweights finally meet in their highly anticipated bout.

Fury and Usyk are set to meet in a fight that is tentatively scheduled for early 2024.

Widely considered as the world's leading heavyweight, Fury was pushed to the limit by UFC brawler-turned-boxer Francis Ngannou in a non-title bout in Riyadh on Saturday.

Indeed, Fury was fortunate to come away with a win, with two judges deciding in his favour.

Ryan Garcia, who is set to fight Oscar Duarte in December, believes the undefeated Fury will still have too much for Usyk, though.

"The Gypsy King, that's it," Garcia told Stats Perform.

"He's the best, the Gypsy King is an unbelievable talent. And he has an amazing personality. He's super, super cool."

Fury's meeting with Usyk will quench a long-held thirst, though despite years of posturing, a battle of the Britons between the 35-year-old and Anthony Joshua is yet to take place.

"I'll be excited to see him versus Anthony Joshua one day, I would want to go to that one that will be huge," Garcia said.

"And that’s the one I would actually be looking forward to more [than Fury v Usyk], to be honest."

Fury, for his part, was honest in his appraisal of his own performance against Ngannou in Saudi Arabia.

"He's given me probably one of my toughest fights in the last 10 years," Fury said. "Francis is a hell of a fighter, strong, big puncher, and a lot better boxer than we all thought he would be.

"He's a very awkward man and he's a good puncher and I respect him a lot."

Fury and Usyk bumped into each other in Riyadh prior to Saturday's fight, with the pair sharing an embrace.

And the duo faced off in the ring following the bout, with Fury saying:  "Let's go,"

Usyk added: "Let's go. I'm going to be fighting him, amazing."

Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl was delighted to mark his first home game since taking charge with a 2-0 win against Rotherham.

Michael Smith scored both goals against his former club in the first half to give Wednesday their first win of the season with Rotherham never threatening to mount a comeback.

Rohl said: “It’s amazing to be a part of this club. It’s amazing to be in the stadium, to see all the fans that are so great.

“The performance on the pitch was just what we need. We trained hard for the last 10 days and now you see the direction of how we want to play.

“A clean sheet, two goals and a great performance of high intensity against a difficult opponent.

“Everybody was ready on the pitch, but also a good signal for me was to see how ready the guys are off the pitch. We have a big squad and we need all the players.

“We spoke about our plan today. It’s about creating a winning mindset and enjoying playing football.

“We spoke about how we want to play and you always need to first win to create the belief and conviction for the direction.

“I see a team that is ready for a hunt to win balls and it is fantastic.”

Rotherham boss Matt Taylor made no attempt to hide his displeasure after a lack lustre display from his side.

He said: “Bitterly disappointed, frustrated, upset and angry in so many ways that we were so poor in so many departments today.

“In possession and out of possession, we were second best in both departments.

“In local derbies, you certainly can’t afford to do that. For 10 minutes, the game was relatively balanced and then one midfield giveaway and a breakaway goal, and the whole atmosphere changed.

“We just weren’t bright enough in our moments of the game. Get to the ball first, come out on top. If you win the ball, use the ball better. We were too poor in too many departments.

“I just didn’t see enough individually in terms of what it meant as a game today.

“Sometimes you’ve got to put your body on the line a little bit more than we did today. Sprint a little bit more and just be close enough to the action to say ‘I’m having a positive effect on the game’.

“We’re just bitterly disappointed in terms of the way we performed and then the outcome is what you expect if you don’t play well enough. This is an unforgiving league.”

The Milwaukee Bucks will be "tough to stop" in the Eastern Conference race this season after pairing star point guard Damian Lillard with two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.

That's according to former Buck Michael Carter-Williams, who believes the Boston Celtics may emerge as Milwaukee's closest rivals after picking up Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.

After 11 years with the Portland Trail Blazers, Lillard joined the Bucks in a huge three-team trade in the offseason.

He made an immediate impact as Milwaukee began their 2023-24 campaign with a 118-117 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.

Lillard finished with a record-breaking 39 points on his Bucks debut, surpassing Terry Cummings' 34 points on his first outing for the team back in 1984, while Antetokounmpo added 23 points and 13 rebounds.

With those two stars linking up, free agent Carter-Williams – who represented Milwaukee between 2015 and 2016 – expects his former team to enjoy an exciting season.

"They're both amazing players. The things that they do on the court are tough to stop," Carter-Williams – who will play in the G League in Mexico City as he awaits an NBA offer – told Stats Perform.

"You put those two together, it's a tough combination, and they're immediately one of the best combos in the league. 

"It's going to be interesting to see what they can do and like I said, they're both huge talents so they're going to be tough to stop."

Carter-Williams was surprised to see Lillard land in Milwaukee, but he says the team had to do everything possible to secure him in the huge trade. 

"I was shocked," he said. "I didn't see that coming, I thought it was going to be Miami or Toronto, or there was one other team in the mix.

"I didn't see him going into Milwaukee, but the trade made sense. Obviously, it's tough to give up Drew [Timme] but when you're getting a guy like Damian, I think anybody besides Giannis is liable to get traded."

After Antetokounmpo was taken by the Bucks as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft, Carter-Williams had the chance to play alongside him during his formative years. 

Reflecting on his time as a team-mate of Antetokounmpo, Carter-Williams said: "It was great, especially seeing him play early on in his career and watching his development.

"Every day, you could see him slowly getting better and better and just to watch his work ethic… he's an unbelievable person. 

"He's a better person than he is a basketball player and I think that's what makes him unique. 

"Watching him play has been great, as a friend, as a fan, as a team-mate, it's been awesome to see."

Milwaukee's offseason moves have seen them touted to improve on 2022-23, when they topped the East but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat.

Boston also went down to Miami in the playoffs after finishing second in the East, and they have subsequently strengthened by adding former Bucks guard Holiday and Porzingis from the Washington Wizards.

Carter-Williams expect last season's top two to battle for supremacy in the Eastern Conference again, saying: "I like the Bucks and the Celtics in the East. 

"The Celtics getting Porzingis and Jrue are two huge pickups for them. I like them coming out of the East, in the West, we'll see how things shake up. 

"I think if Anthony Davis and LeBron [James] can be healthy, I think they [the Los Angeles Lakers] are a tough team, they have built a nice little roster over there.

"Then there's Denver, who you can't count out, they got [Nikola] Jokic and they just won it so I think those two are at the top in the West."

The Celtics moved to 2-0 for the season by beating Miami 119-111 on Friday, with Holiday and Porzingis finishing with 17 points apiece. 

Liverpool showed their support to Luis Diaz during a comfortable 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest.

Quickfire goals from Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez before the break and Mohamed Salah’s second-half effort helped Jurgen Klopp’s side maintain their 100 per cent home record in the Premier League this season.

Jota held aloft Diaz’s number seven shirt after scoring, with the Colombian not featuring in Liverpool’s squad following reports his parents had been kidnapped in his homeland.

Liverpool’s latest victory – their eighth in a row in all competitions at Anfield – was their seventh from 10 league games this campaign and lifted them back to within three points of leaders Tottenham.

Forest rarely threatened and, although they hit the woodwork through Anthony Elanga’s late volley, they were forced to defend in numbers as their winless league run was stretched to six matches.

A minute’s applause was held before kick-off in memory of former England and Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton and ex-Everton chairman Bill Kenwright, who both recently died.

Liverpool quickly assumed control, but had only Nunez’s angled volley and Jota’s header, both easily saved by Forest goalkeeper Matt Turner, to show for all their possession.

But that changed with two goals in four first-half minutes, which gave the half-time scoreline a truer reflection of Liverpool’s dominance.

Nunez’s fierce first-time shot was parried by Turner into the path of Jota, who turned home the rebound from eight yards.

In celebration, Jota ran to manager Jurgen Klopp, who handed him Diaz’s shirt to show to the Liverpool fans.

Nunez doubled Liverpool’s lead in the 35th minute with an emphatic near-post finish after Dominik Szoboszlai’s cut-back.

Forest’s backline looked increasingly vulnerable. Nunez sent an overhead kick narrowly over the crossbar and Turner produced fine saves to deny Ryan Gravenberch and Szoboszlai before the break.

Harvey Elliott went close to a third Liverpool goal soon after stepping off the bench in the second half when his shot was deflected wide by Forest defender Ola Aina.

Salah capitalised on Turner’s misjudgement to put Liverpool 3-0 up in the 77th minute.

Turner was caught out by the bounce of Szoboszlai’s long diagonal punt up field and Salah raced clear to sidefoot home his eighth league goal of the season.

Forest almost pulled one back in the 85th minute when Elanga’s first-time volley following a cross to the far post crashed against the underside of the crossbar.

Liverpool thought they had scored a fourth goal through substitute Cody Gakpo deep in stoppage time, but VAR ruled he had been offside when converting from close range.