Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford set up a mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City, but manager Jurgen Klopp is less than impressed with the lunchtime scheduling.

The Premier League’s resumption after the international break kicks off with City v Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium live on television in a Saturday lunchtime clash.

Klopp has been a long-time opponent of broadcast scheduling, particularly the 12.30pm slot, and he has aired his complaints again.

“OK, no-one can say at the moment, but how can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?” he said.

“Is it the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game? I don’t know if that is the case, I really don’t.

“Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible.”

The logistics involved in getting players back from South America are well-drilled now and usually involve clubs liaising to charter a jet for all their players to return home together.

But a lunchtime kick-off requires extra planning to get them back as early as practically possible, which often involves extra work to get them into one airport at the same time.

“You have these two teams who have, all together, about 30 international players. They all come back on the same plane from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia,” said Klopp.

“One game, one plane, they all come back.”

Liverpool endured a couple of tricky moments at home to Brentford, but two goals from Mohamed Salah, taking him to 200 in English football, and one from Diogo Jota ensured Klopp’s side leapfrogged Arsenal into second place on goal difference.

In becoming the first Reds player to score in each of their first six home matches at the start of a season, Salah joined Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in having scored or assisted in 15 consecutive Premier League home games.

“Exceptional, just exceptional player. Played a super game today and we all know how difficult it is against these tall centre-backs,” added Klopp.

“Two players around him, all these kinds of things, how often he kept the ball for us and we could play from there. That was super important and scoring two goals.

“We had so many good moments in the first half. We scored (through Darwin Nunez), but it was offside (twice), things like that, and then in that moment, the composure for the first goal is insane.

“There is no doubt when the ball is in that area in the end you see it on the scoresheet. So a pretty special player.”

Victory ensured the team headed off on international duty with a spring in their step after a difficult week which began with a draw at Luton and got worse with defeat in the Europa League to Toulouse.

But in extending their 100 percent home league record to six matches this season, having conceded just twice at Anfield in that time, Liverpool moved into pole position as City’s nearest challengers.

“Football is strange. If you would have asked me three days just about the feeling, not about what I know, I am not sure I would talk about the start (to their season),” said Klopp.

“But obviously you look at the game, the numbers, the results, most of the time it was OK or better.

“A point at Luton didn’t feel great, Tottenham, in the circumstances (a defeat after a controversial incorrect VAR decision) obviously didn’t feel great.

“It’s absolutely all right if we just don’t really think about it. Today it was about getting through the game and we did. The boys responded sensationally well.”

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was unhappy with a second-half challenge by Wataru Endo on Christian Norgaard which, on the basis of what has gone before this season, he felt VAR got wrong.

“I think this situation, back in the day, never would have been a red card, but in the football we are playing now, with the slow image you can see a clear foot on the leg, four bloody marks on Christian’s leg,” he said.

“There is definitely some contact with force.”

Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford set up a mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City, but manager Jurgen Klopp is less than impressed with the lunchtime scheduling.

The Premier League’s resumption after the international break kicks off with City v Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium live on television in a Saturday lunchtime clash.

Klopp has been a long-time opponent of broadcast scheduling, particularly the 12.30pm slot, and he has aired his complaints again.

“OK, no-one can say at the moment, but how can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?” he said.

“Is it the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game? I don’t know if that is the case, I really don’t.

“Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible.”

The logistics involved in getting players back from South America are well-drilled now and usually involve clubs liaising to charter a jet for all their players to return home together.

But a lunchtime kick-off requires extra planning to get them back as early as practically possible, which often involves extra work to get them into one airport at the same time.

“You have these two teams who have, all together, about 30 international players. They all come back on the same plane from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia,” said Klopp.

“One game, one plane, they all come back.”

Liverpool endured a couple of tricky moments at home to Brentford, but two goals from Mohamed Salah, taking him to 200 in English football, and one from Diogo Jota ensured Klopp’s side leapfrogged Arsenal into second place on goal difference.

In becoming the first Reds player to score in each of their first six home matches at the start of a season, Salah joined Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in having scored or assisted in 15 consecutive Premier League home games.

“Exceptional, just exceptional player. Played a super game today and we all know how difficult it is against these tall centre-backs,” added Klopp.

“Two players around him, all these kinds of things, how often he kept the ball for us and we could play from there. That was super important and scoring two goals.

“We had so many good moments in the first half. We scored (through Darwin Nunez), but it was offside (twice), things like that, and then in that moment, the composure for the first goal is insane.

“There is no doubt when the ball is in that area in the end you see it on the scoresheet. So a pretty special player.”

Victory ensured the team headed off on international duty with a spring in their step after a difficult week which began with a draw at Luton and got worse with defeat in the Europa League to Toulouse.

But in extending their 100 percent home league record to six matches this season, having conceded just twice at Anfield in that time, Liverpool moved into pole position as City’s nearest challengers.

“Football is strange. If you would have asked me three days just about the feeling, not about what I know, I am not sure I would talk about the start (to their season),” said Klopp.

“But obviously you look at the game, the numbers, the results, most of the time it was OK or better.

“A point at Luton didn’t feel great, Tottenham, in the circumstances (a defeat after a controversial incorrect VAR decision) obviously didn’t feel great.

“It’s absolutely all right if we just don’t really think about it. Today it was about getting through the game and we did. The boys responded sensationally well.”

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was unhappy with a second-half challenge by Wataru Endo on Christian Norgaard which, on the basis of what has gone before this season, he felt VAR got wrong.

“I think this situation, back in the day, never would have been a red card, but in the football we are playing now, with the slow image you can see a clear foot on the leg, four bloody marks on Christian’s leg,” he said.

“There is definitely some contact with force.”

Unai Emery stressed the importance of Aston Villa remaining consistent as the season goes on after the 3-1 win over Fulham.

The result at Villa Park saw the midlands outfit make it six wins out of six at home in the Premier League this season and equal the post-war club record for successive top-flight home victories, matching the 13 in a row achieved in 1983.

Boss Emery, whose fifth-placed side are a point outside the top four, said: “We are now (on league match) 12 – there are still 26 matches to play.

“It’s a lot and of course to be consistent is the most important thing, when you are trying to build and to create a team and a structure and mentality.

“It’s the reason of course we can maintain the position like we are now, but it’s going to be very difficult and a challenge. We are going to face each match trying to focus (on) it.

“Now we are in the top five, it’s I think a moment to enjoy, to be happy – and to try to analyse, even now winning, how we can improve, how we can keep being consistent.”

Marking a return to winning ways in the league after last Sunday’s 2-0 loss at Nottingham Forest, this result was a second home triumph in four days for Villa, with Emery’s men having defeated AZ Alkmaar 2-1 in the Europa Conference League on Thursday to leave them on the brink of qualifying from their group.

They were two up at the break against Fulham following an Antonee Robinson own-goal and a 42nd-minute strike from skipper John McGinn, while Ollie Watkins subsequently added a third in the 64th minute for his 11th goal of the season in all competitions.

Raul Jimenez, who had seen a shot tipped against a post by Emiliano Martinez early in the second half, pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 70th minute – the former Wolves man’s first Premier League goal since March 2022.

Emery said: “At home, we are feeling very good here. We are connected with our supporters, trying to (have) full, positive energy, and… in each circumstance we are trying to adapt, improving the team, the players, our tactical work. I think it is going well.

“Here, for example, I think the first half was a very good first half. We created chances, but overall we controlled the game, avoiding the transition. It was fantastic.

“The second half was more hard. They scored one goal, had chances and were trying to work, thinking about the possibility to come back, and we avoided it.”

Villa resume after the international break with away games against Tottenham and Bournemouth, either side of a Europa Conference League home match against Legia Warsaw, and then host Manchester City and Arsenal in the league.

Emery added: “Of course I am happy and I can take my days off as well relaxing with the result we had, with the moment we are now in the table, and in the Conference (League) as well.

“But I know full well each match is a new challenge, and I am going to take some days resting, but of course my mind is in Tottenham, and in Bournemouth, and in Legia Warsaw, and in Villa Park again with Manchester City and Arsenal.”

Brendan Rodgers praised his Celtic side for quickly erasing their Champions League pain with a 6-0 thrashing of Aberdeen at Parkhead.

The Hoops were chastened by a 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in their Champions League group stage game in Spain on Tuesday night, where they ended up with 10 men following the dismissal of Daizen Maeda and bottom of the table.

However, they blitzed an abject Dons side in their cinch Premiership encounter, with South Korean forward Yang Hyun-jun scoring his first Celtic goal in the ninth minute before Japan striker Kyogo Furuhashi added a second seven minutes later in an utterly dominant first half.

Winger Luis Palma scored from the spot in the 76th minute and in 10 added minutes at the end of the game, the home side scored three goals, with substitutes David Turnbull and Oh Hyeon-gyu, twice, on target as Celtic restored their eight-point lead over Rangers at the top of the table.

“I said to the players before the game, throughout your footballing season and life you have painful points, but how you respond is where you are judged,” said Rodgers, who revealed Furuhashi would not be travelling to Japan this week to stay behind for treatment for a head knock which saw him taken off.

“If you look after St Johnstone here (0-0) we go to Rangers and win, after Feyenoord away (0-2) we go to Livingston and win.

“Obviously we had a challenging game in midweek just because of the circumstances.

“It is then how you respond today. I thought the players responded so well. They’ve done great in the game, created numerous opportunities.

“Look at Aberdeen’s record, especially away from home. Look at how tough they are to beat. They go to Frankfurt and do well, they go to Rangers and win.

“So they are a team who are tough to play against. But I thought our players today were absolutely fantastic. They showed some great football, great movement, great connection in the team. I was so pleased for them.”

It was a fifth successive away game for the Dons but after the hard-fought 2-2 draw against PAOK on Thursday night in Greece, Barry Robson was not for making excuses and admitted that he was “massively surprised” by the result.

He said: “You can look for excuses, but I’m not having that. Yes, we all know where we have been, but we still can’t come here and perform like that. So I’m not having that, either.

“It was a result I never saw coming at all. That is the biggest surprise, I never saw that coming.

“I am just angry because it is not us as a team. You have to learn that you can’t leave yourselves open, you have to learn to shut the back door and not lose more goals.

“I just think the first 15 minutes, we were not at it. We didn’t get close to anyone. Never put a tackle in and, as the half went on, got slightly better.

“Half-time, we tweaked a few tactical things and thought we started to look a lot better in the second half and then lost the penalty.

“And then I thought after that Celtic ran away with it and it was not good enough.

“Once you lose that third goal, you have got to get a structure, you’ve got to stay in the fight  and we just looked too open. It looked like they could score every time.”

Roberto De Zerbi admitted he does not like “80 per cent of Premier League referees” after 10-man Brighton were held to a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United.

Simon Adingra had put the Seagulls ahead with a brilliant solo run but the game changed on Mahmoud Dahoud’s red card in the 69th minute.

Midfielder Dahoud stamped on Ben Osborn’s Achilles, with Adam Webster putting through his own goal moments later to take the Blades off the bottom of the table for the first time since September 23.

De Zerbi, who was also booked for his touchline antics, did not disagree with the red card shown by John Brooks but said: “I am honest and clear… I don’t like 80 per cent of English referees.

“That isn’t a new opinion. I don’t like them. I don’t like their behaviour on the pitch.

“England is the only country where when there is VAR, you are not sure that the decision is right. In other countries, you have to be sure 100 per cent that the decision taken is right. In England, no, and I am not able to understand.”

De Zerbi is now on his longest run without a league win as Brighton manager, with his side six matches without taking three points.

“We are spending time in an unlucky period,” said the Italian. “I think we have lost four points; two against Fulham and two today.

“After the red card, I didn’t like the team.

“There wasn’t a game until the red card. There was only one team on the pitch. Brighton could have won the game two or three nil, but after the red card the game changed.

“After the red card we can say other things but the situation with one player less, we lost order and our style.”

Adingra went on a mazy run before finishing after a give-and-go with Facundo Buonanotte in the fifth minute. But after the red card, Jayden Bogle’s powerful cross was diverted into his own goal by Webster.

It was the first time United had strung two games without defeat together in the top flight since July 2020 – not that Paul Heckingbottom is worried after a first away point of the season and getting off the bottom.

He said: “It is irrelevant – maybe getting off the bottom is important because people keep mentioning it but I’m not bothered. Not yet.

“What is pleasing is how we’ve played against a good team.

“It is always about the points. I can give lots of reasons why we haven’t picked up more points this season: the way we started the season, final moments in games where we could and should have.

“But until you get them they are just excuses. It is about the points and we want to keep picking up the points.

“There have been moments in every game but in the last two games it has been us being the stronger team at the end and that is what I want to see. It gives us a huge lift.”

Robert Lewandowski got Barcelona out of jail as Alaves threatened to pile on further misery for the reigning LaLiga champions.

The 35-year-old Poland international headed home a second-half equaliser after Samu Omorodion had fired the visitors in front with just 18 seconds gone and then converted a late penalty to ensure an eventful afternoon at the Estadio Olimpico ended 2-1 to the hosts.

However, Samu was left to reflect on what might have been after passing up three further chances to add to his tally as Barca, who were without influential duo Gavi and Frenkie de Jong, turned in an abject first-half display before finally finding their feet.

The home side kicked off under some pressure after their their midweek Champions League defeat at Shakhtar Donetsk, which came in the wake of their El Clasico reverse and an unconvincing league win over Real Sociedad.

And they could hardly have got off to a worse start as they conceded inside the opening minute.

Ilkay Gundogan was robbed by Jon Guridi inside the Alaves half and he carved his way deep into Barca territory before picking out Javi Lopez, whose cross was swept past keeper Marc Andre ter Stegen by the 19-year-old Samu.

Things could have been significantly worse for Xavi’s men amid a shambolic start as they were repeatedly opened up by the visitors.

Samu fired into the side-netting after controlling Andoni Gorosabel’s pass, and then missed the target after the latter had split the home defence to send him one-on-one with Ter Stegen.

Shell-shocked Barcelona started to work their way into the game and Alaves keeper Antonio Sivera had to save from Lewandowski and Joao Felix.

But in the meantime, Lopez had scuffed a shot on the turn wide after catching defender Jules Kounde sleeping, and the France international was fortunate to escape for a second time when Samu fired after being muscled off the ball by the frontman.

Felix tried desperately to drag his side back into the game as time ran down, but Sivera remained largely untroubled and the locals made their feelings abundantly clear on the whistle.

Barca returned with much greater purpose and Joao Cancelo fired into Sivera’s midriff within three minutes, and they were back in it with 53 minutes gone when Lewandowski got ahead of defender Rafa Marin to power home a header from Kounde’s right-wing cross.

The visitors found themselves pinned back deep inside their own half, but almost profited from another Kounde error when he headed Ruben Duarte’s free-kick straight at Abdelkabir Abqar, although the defender was unable to convert.

Lamine Yamal tested Sivera with a swerving attempt, but the Catalans finally edged in front with 12 minutes remaining when, after Abqar had tripped substitute Ferran Torres in the box, Lewandowski emphatically dispatched the resulting spot-kick.

Steve Cooper felt Nottingham Forest threw away the chance of a rare away win after going down 3-2 at West Ham.

Goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Anthony Elanga had put Forest into the lead after Lucas Paqueta fired the Hammers ahead in the third minute.

But late headers from Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek, both from James Ward-Prowse corners, condemned the visitors to another defeat.

“I think if we’d drawn 2-2, I’d have been disappointed,” Forest boss Cooper said.

“I can’t look past the goals we’ve given away. We gifted them a goal at the start, worked our way back into it and then to concede a corner after five seconds from kick-off and defend like we did is frustrating.

“The third goal is from our throw-in, it’s a corner again and we didn’t do our jobs. Whether the ball coming in is brilliant or average, you’ve got the stay with your man.”

Forest have won just two matches on the road since they were promoted in 2022.

“We know we are doing a lot better things away from home but we’ve just thrown a result a way, and to lose it like we did, it was our own fault, I can’t look past that,” Cooper added.

“There was a real opportunity to come here to win and we were doing that. Today was a different away performance and loss.

“This is one we are going ‘We’ve just thrown it away’. This could have been a much more comfortable day and we’ve only got ourselves to blame.”

Ward-Prowse has now contributed nine assists in all competitions since joining West Ham from Southampton, yet an England call-up still eludes him.

“I’m quite pleased that he’ll get a rest this week, with the amount of games we’ve had,” Hammers boss David Moyes said with a smile.

“Let’s be fair, he is world class at his deliveries, and if I was him I’d be disappointed the other boys haven’t scored more from his deliveries.”

The Hammers won a topsy-turvy match to register their first Premier League victory since September.

“Yeah, I needed that. But so do all the clubs,” Moyes added.

“I was thrilled with the opening minutes, and with the end few minutes. But our play was too slow in the first half and we lost a goal before half-time as well.

“In the second half, after we went behind we played really well to get ourselves back in the game and to win it was tremendous. “

Matilda Picotte will stay in training next season with the ambition of blitzing her way to Group One glory.

Kieran Cotter’s three-year-old has become popular due to her free-going style of racing and is regularly seen blazing a trail on the front-end in races with a target on her back.

Those front-running tactics may not have paid off early on in her Classic season, which saw her pinned late in Leopardstown’s Priory Belle before finishing an honourable third in the 1000 Guineas.

But they came to the fore in her final two outings, as Matilda Picotte made all for Sceptre Stakes glory at Doncaster before following up in real style in Newmarket’s Challenge Stakes.

Her owners have now made the decision to hold on to the daughter of Sioux Nation and she will return to training with Cotter in search of further riches as a four-year-old.

“She is definitely coming back and that’s the plan,” said Cotter.

“Her flamboyant style of running appeals to plenty of people and there is no doubt she will be crossing the pond to England again next year, she’s done very well over there.

“There’s a lot of options open to her, but I would say she will be travelling a fair bit next year.

“It’s very hard to hold on to a horse like her, especially when you are not one of the bigger yards, it can be hard to retain them.

“We’ve been very lucky and she’s taken us to places you could not have dreamed of going before. So we’re going to roll the dice some more.”

The pick of Matilda Picotte’s form, including her two end-of-season triumphs, has come at seven furlongs and her 2024 campaign is poised to be centred around a tilt at the Prix de la Foret, Europe’s only Group One at that distance.

However, with seven-furlong options at the highest level few and far between, Cotter has also suggested she would be capable of dropping back in distance if needed.

“It’s a hard call and she definitely has the pace for it,” added Cotter, when asked if sprinting was an option.

“There are not too many races over seven for her and I think she will probably have to have a go at it.

“I suppose the primary objective for her next year is to get a Group One for her and I think that will be top of the list.

“The Group One over seven in France, the Foret, would probably be the target, but I would imagine she would also step down to six furlongs as well, now that she is older and stronger. She’s already put on another 20 kilos and we’re very hopeful.”

Celtic put their mauling in Madrid behind them with a symmetrical 6-0 win over abject Aberdeen in their cinch Premiership battle at Parkhead.

The Hoops had been crushed 6-0 by Atletico Madrid in their Champions League group stage game in Spain on Tuesday night after going down to 10 men, while the Dons exited the Europa Conference League on Thursday despite an impressive 2-2 draw with PAOK in Greece.

Back in the safer environs of the cinch Premiership, South Korean forward Yang Hyun-jun scored his first Celtic goal in the ninth minute before Japan striker Kyogo Furuhashi added a second seven minutes later in an utterly dominant first half.

Winger Luis Palma scored from the spot in the 77th minute and substitutes David Turnbull and Oh Hyeon-gyu, twice, notched in 10 minutes of added time to complete a comprehensive win for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

Rangers had won 2-0 at Livingston earlier in the day to put some pressure on Celtic but a one-sided victory restored their eight-point lead over their Old Firm rivals going into the international break, albeit the Light Blues have a game in hand.

Unsurprisingly, both sides made changes following their European exploits.

Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm came in for Paulo Bernardo to make his first league start while 21-year-old Yang replaced Daizen Maeda, injured in the challenge that led to his red card against Atletico Madrid.

Bojan Miovski, Jonny Hayes, Leighton Clarkson and Dante Polvara returned for the visitors.

The minute’s silence to mark Armistice Day was disrupted by some inside the stadium, which was missing several hundred registered Green Brigade members who remain suspended from Celtic Park for “unacceptable behaviours”.

The Granite City men were immediately under the cosh and in the fourth minute keeper Kelle Roos made a fantastic save from Furuhashi’s powerful drive and midfielder Matt O’Riley somehow bounced the rebound over the bar from five yards.

Roos was soon beaten, however, when he missed a Palma cross from the left and Yang, who signed from Gangwon FC in the summer, gleefully headed in from close range.

Aberdeen slumped further behind when Yang’s clever reverse pass found O’Riley and his cut-back was slid in at the near post by Furuhashi for his ninth goal of the campaign.

The visitors were struggling to cope but they had a great chance in the 22nd minute when Polvara sent Hayes racing clear but the former Celtic player slashed his shot wide of the target.

Furuhashi sclaffed another chance at the other end and Roos tipped terrific efforts from Holm and then Palma over the bar, as Celtic continued to boss possession.

A robust challenge by Dons defender Slobodan Rubezic on Furuhashi early in the second half saw both players require treatment for head knocks, the former picking up a yellow card from referee Willie Collum.

Furuhashi, however, had to be replaced by Oh, while Holm made way for Turnbull, before a Miovski flick from a Nicky Devlin cross had Celtic keeper Joe Hart making his first save.

Yang took a cut on the face in a challenge by Jack MacKenzie which would soon see him replaced by James Forrest before Celtic were awarded a penalty.

Referee Willie Collum was asked by the VAR to have a look at his pitchside monitor after MacKenzie had wiped out Oh inside the box.

When Collum pointed to the spot, Palma took a slow approach before hammering his spot-kick past Roos.

Turnbull drove in off the post in the second minute of added time and Oh added a fifth with a header from a Palma cross, before running through to drive in a sixth from an O’Riley pass.

Wins for Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart ensured Great Britain avoided Billie Jean King Cup embarrassment against Sweden at London’s Copper Box.

Dart replaced Jodie Burrage following her nightmare debut in the competition on Saturday and the 27-year-old claimed the decisive point in a 3-1 victory that keeps Anne Keothavong’s side at the elite level of the competition.

Given Sweden were without their top two players and did not have anyone ranked inside 350 to call on, defeat – particularly on home soil – was unthinkable.

Ultimately they recovered well from Burrage’s collapse against Kajsa Rinaldo Persson, with Boulter overcoming some difficult moments in a 6-1 7-6 (5) win over the same player for her second win of the weekend before Dart defeated Caijsa Hennemann 7-5 6-2.

It was no surprise to see Keothavong opt for the greater experience of Dart ahead of Burrage, who will hope that she is given another chance to prove herself in 2024.

Boulter has established herself as the clear British number one this season and it was appropriate she ended her year by playing the leading role for her country at the same venue where in 2019 she suffered a serious back injury that badly stalled her progress.

It was not until earlier this season that she finally returned to the top 100, and this time she has built on the breakthrough while avoiding injury, currently sitting at 58 in the rankings.

“It’s been a whirlwind for many different reasons,” the 27-year-old said. “I think the work I’ve put in the last 10 years has really started to show.

“You never know when you’re going to get your little break. I finally got one this year and I felt like I used that momentum continuing from the grass-court season into the hard-court swing as well and I think that’s the part I’m most proud of.

“I sit here and I can say I love the grass and I love playing in England and I love the British crowd but it’s the other tournaments around the rest of the year that make the difference and that’s what’s going to keep my ranking at the highest point.

“I’ve really stepped it up this year in consistency. I know it’s an uphill battle next year and I’m excited for it, it’s a challenge and it’s somewhere I haven’t been before.”

Boulter did not have things all her own way against Persson, who again played well above her ranking of 372.

The Swede had four chances to send the contest to a decider when she served for the second set at 5-3, but Boulter saved them all and finished the tie-break strongly.

Dart was the star of last year’s run to the semi-finals of the competition in Glasgow but she has endured a difficult season, dropping outside the top 100.

She will remember her win over Hennemann more for the significance than the performance, but she was solid in seeing off the world number 532 and looked emotional as she celebrated with her team-mates.

The triumph means Britain move forward to April’s qualifiers, where victory would see them reach the finals week by right for the first time.

Grangeclare West and Mahon’s Way showed their class to provide owners Cheveley Park Stud with a notable double at Naas.

Trained by Willie Mullins and Henry de Bromhead respectively, the pair of point-to-point graduates were expensive purchases at £430,000 and £360,000.

Grangeclare West impressed when winning his bumper and a maiden hurdle, but disappointed in successive Grade One events earlier this year before rounding off his season on a high in lesser company at Punchestown in the spring.

The seven-year-old was a 7-4 shot for his reappearance and debut over regulation fences in the Mongey Communications Beginners Chase and jumped well under Paul Townend on his way to a near three-length victory over Heart Wood, with 11-10 favourite Corbetts Cross back in third.

“He looks to be born to jump fences, he loved it,” said the champion jockey.

“He had a blow but his jumping was getting him a long way. The two fences being taken out in the straight didn’t help but his class got him through.

“He’s always promised and I’d say with chasing he could fulfil his promise.”

Mullins also landed the bumper with the Jody Townend-ridden Fleur Au Fusil (100-30).

Mahon’s Way (3-1) had earlier dominated his rivals in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden Hurdle, with Rachael Blackmore doing the steering as he pulled five and a half lengths clear.

“He’s a lovely horse and Alex Elliott bought him last year after he won his point-to-point. He came highly recommended and does everything well,” said De Bromhead.

“He went through that ground but I’d say he’d have a preference for nicer. It’s tough work out there and you would think he will get further.”

De Bromhead and Blackmore also teamed up to land the Cavan Developments Home Builders Supporting St Marys GAA Maiden Hurdle with the similarly impressive Slade Steel, who proved much too strong for the 8-11 favourite King Of Kingsfield.

The trainer added: “He was a nice bumper horse last year, we didn’t run him too much and it is nice to see him come out and do that.

“He really stayed at it. He won his point-to-point and I’d say he’s adaptable, he has a bit of pace as well.

“He has an entry in the Royal Bond and we’ll find a novice for him somewhere.”

High-class Flat performer Smooth Tom (10-1) made it two from two over obstacles in the BetVictor Fishery Lane Novice Hurdle in the hands of 5lb claimer Philip Donovan.

Willie Slattery, brother and assistant to trainer Andrew, said: “He’s a 90-rated horse on the Flat and I was surprised how big a price he was. He handles soft ground but you would always be a bit worried about a Flat horse on winter ground.

“Andy was talking about giving him a rest and if he runs again it will probably be Leopardstown at Christmas. He’s going to have to step up again.”

Chosen Diamond was a 7-1 winner of the Overlander Horseboxes Novice Handicap Chase, while the €40,000 Brown Lad Handicap Hurdle went to 20-1 chance Espanito Bello for owner-trainer Barry Connell, who said: “They went a mad pace in front which suited him and he jumped super.

“I might look at the Proudstown, it’s a €100,000 handicap hurdle and he should be still competitive.

“That’s his fifth win here and they might make a statue of him now!”

Mohamed Salah continued his remarkable Anfield scoring record with two goals in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory over Brentford to bring up his 200th in English football.

Only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has scored more in the Premier League this season than the Egypt international, who took his tally to 10 by scoring for the sixth successive home game to write another entry in club’s history books.

Intriguingly, the pair will meet in a mouthwatering first-versus-second encounter at the Etihad Stadium immediately after the international break in what will be a true test of Liverpool’s title credentials.

After a complete midfield rebuild over the summer following a fifth-place finish, the primary aim was to regain their Champions League status, but after eight wins in their opening 12 matches – and a 100 percent record at home in every competition – a different complexion has developed as they have emerged as City’s chief chasers again.

After taking 39 minutes to break down a stubborn Brentford, Salah’s double either side of half-time was added to by Diogo Jota’s late strike to put a quick end to questions over a mini-stumble after the draw at Luton and Europa League defeat in Toulouse.

In becoming the first Liverpool player to score in each of their first six home matches, Salah joined Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in having scored or assisted in 15 consecutive Premier League home games.

And, while he claimed the plaudits once again, in many ways the architect of the victory was Darwin Nunez, whose rapid development this season continues to impress.

The Uruguay international, criticised for his wayward shooting last weekend, had two goals disallowed for offside – one only very marginally by VAR – and provided yet another assist for Salah.

His total of nine assists in his Liverpool career have all been for the Egypt international and in the Premier League it is only the third time two players have combined for an individual’s first seven in a campaign – Kevin Campbell for Ian Wright (first 10) and Troy Deeney for Odion Ighalo (seven) the others.

His all-round play has improved immeasurably from last season’s erratic performances and, while still prone to the odd aberration, he is gradually morphing into the all-action number nine the team needs.

After an early deflected cross was saved at the near post by goalkeeper Mark Flekken, Nunez poked home in the 22nd minute after Dominik Szoboszlai’s shot was deflected into his path.

It was not the first time he would have a goal ruled out for offside, although it was the most marginal.

When he buried an overhead kick after Flekken had parried Virgil van Dijk’s header it was apparent he had returned from an offside position.

Brentford had been limited to counter-attacks but almost snatched a goal when Bryan Mbeumo outpaced Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Alisson Becker got a crucial touch on the shot and Liverpool’s right-back got back to collect.

The defender was equally effective at the other end in the 39th minute when he picked out Nunez on the edge of the area and he laid off for Salah to tuck a left-footed shot inside the far post for a goal of brilliant simplicity.

A Nunez piledriver, a Salah volley over from Alexander-Arnold’s delicious chipped diagonal pass over the Brentford defence and a perfectly-judged Nathan Collins’ recovery tackle to deny the Uruguay striker a one-on-one with the keeper saw the half end on a high for the hosts.

Eighteen minutes into the second half Liverpool benefited from VAR as it ruled Kostas Tsimikas’ cross to the far post had remained in play as there was real doubt cast by Salah’s muted celebrations after heading in.

Jota capped a dominant performance with the third in the 74th minute, cutting in from the left to fire home from the edge of the area.

Late on Alexander-Arnold hooked away Collins’ goalbound header and Alisson tipped over Ethan Pinnock’s effort from the resulting corner to keep Liverpool ahead of Arsenal on goal difference and add yet more significance to the trip to the Etihad.