'If there is a team that can smash us like this, it is City' - Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp after 4-0 thrashing

Newly-crowned Premier League champions suffer heavy defeat at the Etihad Stadium

Manchester City's Phil Foden, centre, is congratulated by teammates after scoring his team's third goal against Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday. AP

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling shoots and Liverpool's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain deflects the ball into his own goal for Manchester City’s fourth goal. PA

Liverpool's Fabinho reacts after Manchester City scored their third goal. Reuters

Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp during the Premier League match against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. AP

Scoreboard shows the final score at Etihad Stadium. AP

Liverpool's manager Jurgen Klopp, left, greets Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne. AP

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling is congratulated by teammate Rodrigo. AP

Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, second right, celebrates after his team's fourth goal. AP

Manchester City's Phil Foden takes a shot at goal. AP

Manchester City's Phil Foden in action with Liverpool's Sadio Mane. Reuters

Manager Jurgen Klopp refused to blame title celebrations for Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing by Manchester City in their first match as champions.

Liverpool endured a stunning return to action as City, the side whose Premier League crown they took last week, served a ruthless reminder of their quality at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

Kevin De Bruyne began the rout from the penalty spot before further goals from Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden before half-time. An own goal from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain completed the rout.

After finally ending a 30-year title drought and losing just one other match all season, Liverpool could perhaps be excused an off-night. But manager Klopp insisted his side were still on top of their game.

"It has nothing to do with last week. It hurts like defeats hurt," he said.

"What I wanted to see was who is ready to fight against Man City, who obviously had a point to prove. It was easy motivation for Pep.

"We were in the game, we were fighting, we were running. We did everything we could. Was it perfect? No. The problem is if you are not perfect and meet Man City, then you lose, and the result can be not so nice.

"If there is a team in the world that can smash us like this it is probably City, but we will come again."

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling said Manchester City proved a point to the newly-crowned champions.

"We had a test against the current champions to make a point and we did brilliant," said Sterling. "Next season started today and we did well."

City manager Guardiola is hoping the manner of the victory can spur his side on to finish the season on a high by succeeding Liverpool as Champions League winners.

"It is important," said Guardiola. "Especially because they were incredibly focused."

"I'm delighted. Congratulations to the team, we beat the champions with the quality they have.

"I saw in the guard of honour how incredibly focused they were, how they shouted. I saw their faces, that's why they're champions.

"So the chances we created, to beat them 4-0, it was so important for preparing against Arsenal and Real Madrid."

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Manchester City - Liverpool ratings

Ederson - 7: Excellent distribution as always. Showed great anticipation to save a curling Salah finish with 15 minutes to go. Not afraid to come miles off his line if required. EPA

Kyle Walker - 6: Erratic at times with his positioning and passing. Nearly gave away a penalty for little shove on Mane that was given just outside the box. Reuters

Benjamin Mendy - 7: Full-back seems to have put his injury problems behind him. One glorious pass across the box in the first-half that was crying out for the missing Sergio Aguero. AFP

Eric Garcia - 7: Solid enough game from the Spanish defender. Too early to say whether the 19-year-old will be a first-team regular at City. Getty

Aymeric Laporte - 7: Key defender for City and did well up against a formidable Liverpool strikeforce. Getty

Rodrigo - 7: Dug out an excellent pass for Du Bruyne who went on to set up the fourth. Good performance from the midfielder. Getty

Ilkay Guendogan - 7: One superlative long pass out to De Bruyne out wide in the second half and a decent all-round show from the German midfielder. EPA

Kevin De Bruyne - 9: Just a ludicrously good footballer. Superb movement that is so difficult for defenders to pick up and a wonderful passer of the ball. Usual confident finish from the penalty spot, played lovely one-two with Foden for youngster to score third. Set up the fourth for Sterling whose shot was deflected in for an own-goal. Reuters

Phil Foden - 9: Gave Robertson a torrid time, lovely one-two with De Bruyne before finishing confidently for the third. A constant menace to Liverpool and another brilliant performance from the young midfielder. Getty

Raheem Sterling - 8: Forced foul out of Gomez to win penalty, brilliant first touch and finish for the second goal. Thought he'd grabbed the the fourth but his shot was going wide until Oxlade-Chamberlain deflected it into the net for an own goal. Reuters

Gabriel Jesus - 6: Had his moments but does not look like he has the striker's instinct to be a 20-plus goal a season replacement for Aguero in the long-term. Did have ball in the net after two minutes but was caught offside. AP

Riyad Mahrez (sub Jesus 58) 7: Thought he had scored but was disallowed by VAR after handball by Foden earlier in the build-up. AFP

Nicolas Otamendi - (sub Laporte 79) NA: No chance to make impact. AFP

Bernardo Silva - (sub Sterling 79) NA: Too late to make an impact. Getty

Joao Cancelo - (sub Walker 73) 6: Good time for a defender to come on when your team is 4-0 up. AFP

Alisson Becker - 6: Left hopelessly exposed by a defence that has been so good this season. Will have been relieved that Mahrez's goal that flew in at his near post was disallowed. No chance with any of the goals, to be fair. Reuters

Trent Alexander-Arnold - 6: Not as traumatic a night as Robertson on other flank but still one to forget for the right-back. Getty

Joe Gomez - 4: Gave away penalty and was generally outplayed by England teammate Sterling. Hooked at half-time. AFP

Virgil van Dijk - 7: Liverpool's best defender, which isn't saying much for once. Getty

Andrew Robertson - 4: Had a magnificent season but suffered a rare blip at the Etihad. Pulled out position for second and third goals and struggled to deal with Foden. AFP

Jordan Henderson - 6: Reds' captain has been one of the players of the season but was outshone by likes of De Bruyne and Foden at the Etihad. Getty

Georginio Wijnaldum - 5: One of Liverpool's more unsung heroes but was off the pace tonight. Getty

Fabinho - 6. Stuck to his task but was overrun at times by the mobile City midfield. Getty

Sadio Mane - 6: Control completely let him down when presented with good chance to score in second half. AFP

Roberto Firmino - 6: Not his, or Liverpool's, day. Offered little goal threat to City. Getty

Mohamed Salah - 7: Forced an early save out of Ederson and hit the post in the first half before City ran riot. Looked the most likely Liverpool player to score. AFP

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - (sub Gomez 45) 6: Unfortunate to put into his own net when Sterling's shot was going wide. Reuters

Naby Keita (sub Wijnaldum 62) 6: Game was long gone by the time he came on. EPA

Divock Origi - (sub Firmino 62) 6: Little influence when he came on. AP

Neco Williams - (sub Alexander-Arnold 76) NA: No chance to make an impact. PA

Takumi Minamino - (sub Mane 85) NA: No chance to make impact. AP