Liverpool hit by title hangover

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 English Premier League champions yesterday.

‘‘I think they drank a lot of beers in the last week,’’ City manager Pep Guardiola said after his team’s big win.

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 its 30-year title drought ended.

‘‘They were quicker than us in mind – we lacked fluidity,’’ Liverpool manager Jurgen 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 has enough games to overhaul City’s record 100-point haul from 2017-18.

Klopp wasn’t as downbeat as the result suggested.

‘‘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.‘‘

There is still unfinished business for City before the pandemicdelayed conclusion to the season in August. City play Arsenal in the FA Cup semifinals and have a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid after the first leg of the Champions League’s interrupted round of 16.

‘‘We were disappointed at times this season having lost some games we shouldn’t have,’’ Sterling said. ‘‘So we had a test against the new champions and [a chance] to make a point.’’

Sheffield United beat Tottenham 3-1 in the other Premier League match yesterday.