As they stepped onto the pitch, Liverpool’s players were given a guard of honor from Manchester City. It was the only time they looked like Premier League champions on Thursday.
“I think they drank a lot of beers in the last week,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
The dethroned champions made sure there was an abrupt comedown from the partying. A merciless attacking display sparked by City scorers Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden consigned Liverpool to a 4-0 loss exactly a week after their 30-year title drought ended.
Photo: EPA-EFE
“They were quicker than us in mind — we lacked fluidity,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said. “Isn’t it nice another team can be champions when Man City play so well?”
The slack defending and lack of sharpness from Liverpool was perhaps forgivable from players who had spent the previous 31 rounds establishing an unprecedented 23-point lead to become England’s earliest champions.
Such an emphatic loss is not how Liverpool wanted to close out such a memorable season, especially when there are still enough games to overhaul City’s record 100-point haul from 2017-2018.
Photo: AP
Klopp was not as downbeat as the result suggested, despite Liverpool going a fifth away game in all competitions without scoring.
“I saw a brilliant attitude, I saw boys who were fighting with all their effort,” he said. “We didn’t behave like somebody who became champions a week ago.”
It was a night to forget for so many Liverpool players — particularly Joe Gomez, who dragged Raheem Sterling down to concede a penalty converted by De Bruyne in the 25th minute.
“We tried to play football, taking risks, because they are the best team I ever faced in my life with high pressing,” Guardiola said. “It is incredible how fast they are, how quick they play.”
De Bruyne and Foden helped City stylishly waltz through Liverpool and show how the title might be reclaimed next season.
Receiving a pass from Foden, Sterling took the ball past Gomez with his left boot before using his right to knock in City’s second in the 35th minute. Sterling and Gomez reunited in a Premier League match for the first time since Liverpool’s victory over City at Anfield in November last year that was followed the next day by a training camp altercation while they were on England duty.
Gomez was substituted at halftime after some ragged defense.
City scored a third before that.
The technique in the buildup would have had fans on their feet, if they were not prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead fewer than 300 people inside the Etihad Stadium could savor the counterattack that was capped by Foden playing a one-two with De Bruyne before raising the ball into the net past Alisson.
“This is a team that is evolving and changing — you can see the maturity Phil is playing with,” Sterling said. “I think in the future we have some great players.”
It summed up Liverpool’s night that the fourth goal came from an own-goal after another blistering City attacking move. De Bruyne picked out Sterling who turned Andrew Robertson and sent in a shot that was deflected into his own net by Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain.
“Next season started today,” Sterling said.
Elsewhere, Sheffield United leapfrogged Tottenham Hotspur on the table with the hosts winning 3-1 at Bramall Lane.
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