As they stepped onto the pitch, Liverpool’s players were given a guard of honour from Manchester City. It was the only time they looked like Premier League champions on Thursday as they were thrashed 4-0 by the dethroned champions.

“I think they drank a lot of beer in the last week,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.

Last year’s 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.

“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 2017-18.

Klopp though wasn’t downbeat. “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 many Liverpool players — particularly Joe Gomez, who dragged Sterling down to concede a penalty converted by De Bruyne in the 25th minute.

“We tried to play football, taking risks,” Guardiola said, “because they are the best team I ever faced in my life.” AP