LONDON • Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both insisted that Liverpool had been fully focused and had not taken their foot off the pedal, despite Manchester City's 4-0 thrashing of the newly crowned champions at the Etihad on Thursday.
City looked sharper and hungrier for most of the game, taking a 3-0 lead by half-time, while the Reds were well below their usual levels of intensity.
Liverpool had previously lost only one Premier League game this season, leading some observers to suggest last week's title win - their first in 30 years - and subsequent celebrations had affected play.
But Klopp was having none of it.
"If you want to lead this story in the direction that we're not focused, then do it," he said.
"I liked my team's attitude - I saw a brilliant attitude - I saw boys who were fighting with all they have.
"It has nothing to do with last week, to be honest. It hurts like defeats hurt. What I wanted to see tonight was a team who is ready to fight against Man City, who obviously had a point to prove.
"If there is a team in the world that can smash us like this, it is probably City but we will come again."
Liverpool's two heaviest league defeats under Klopp have both been at the Etihad Stadium, having lost to City 5-0 in September 2017.
City manager Guardiola said there was no question of Liverpool having suffered any kind of hangover from their title win.
"I saw them in the guard of honour and they were so focused, they didn't even say 'thank you'. That is why they are champions of Europe and the Premier League," he said.
"I think they drunk a lot of beer the last week, but they were here with no beer in their blood.
"I saw a team with incredible focus, with energy and a desire to win the game, and I saw from the first minute they were focused."
City began the evening by giving a guard of honour to their opponents, but showed little respect once the action got under way.
Guardiola's men sent a warning shot of their intentions to take the title back next season as Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden all struck before half-time to inflict just Liverpool's third league defeat in 71 games. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's own goal rounded off the Reds' miserable night.
The gap at the top of the table between the two remains at 20 points with six games left, but Liverpool's charge to better a series of records set by City two seasons ago was stalled on a chastening night.
Joe Gomez pulled Sterling to the ground inside the area and de Bruyne converted the penalty.
Sterling was suspended by England manager Gareth Southgate after he squared up to Gomez in the canteen on international duty the day after Liverpool's 3-1 win over City at Anfield earlier in the season.
The forward did his talking on the pitch this time as he then scored for the first time in a competitive match against his old side.
"We had a test against the current champions to make a point and we did brilliant," he said. "Next season started today and we did well."
Riyad Mahrez had a goal in stoppage time ruled out by a VAR (video assistant referee) review for handball as City just failed to match the 5-0 scoreline they inflicted on Liverpool at the Etihad in 2017.
But Guardiola and his players more than laid down a marker and also showed they are among the favourites to win the Champions League for the first time when European football returns next month.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
