Manchester City generously applauded new champions Liverpool onto the field before their Premier League match on Thursday and promptly showed no mercy by thrashing them 4-0 at the Etihad stadium.

With the title secured a week ago, there was little at stake for Juergen Klopp's Liverpool side who showed far from their usual levels of intensity but the loss, just their second of the league campaign, was an emphatic reminder that City will be desperate to regain their crown next season.

Klopp was quick to defend his team's attitude, rejecting any suggestion they had taken the game lightly.

"I saw a brilliant attitude. I saw fight. We didn't behave like somebody who became champions a week ago. We lacked fluidity. And in some 50-50 situations they were quicker than us," he said. "Man City are incredible. I saw their season, they didn't play a bad game even when they lost," he said.

Joe Gomez could not cope with Raheem Sterling's twisting and turning in the box, pulling him to the ground before Kevin De Bruyne converted the penalty in the 25th minute. Sterling doubled the lead 10 minutes later when after a swift break, Phil Foden found him inside the box and the ex-Liverpool forward cut inside Gomez and slid the ball home.

The 20-year-old Foden made it 3-0, firing past Alisson after a swift exchange with Kevin De Bruyne.

City were showing an unusual willingness to play long balls and after Rodri launched a pass deep to De Bruyne, the Belgian found Sterling inside the box and he slipped the ball goalwards, with substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's outstretched touch only turning it into his own net.

The loss was the joint-heaviest defeat by a side already crowned Premier League champions. Arsenal were beaten 4-0 at Liverpool in 1997-98 in the game after they clinched the title.

Elsewhere, VAR took centre stage once again when Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane had a goal harshly ruled out as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Sheffield United in the Premier League on Thursday to remain nine points adrift in the race for the top four.

The hosts took the lead in the 31st minute as Norwegian Sander Berge finished off a fine flowing move, slotting the ball into the bottom corner for his first goal in English football.

Less than two minutes later, Kane fired past goalkeeper Dean Henderson but his equalizer was ruled out by VAR, with Lucas Moura adjudged to have used his arm to inadvertently nudge the ball in Kane's direction after being pushed to the ground.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was furious with the decision and his mood worsened in the 69th minute when United carved his team open again to set up substitute Lys Mousset for his first goal since December 1.

Tottenham lacked creativity despite bags of possession and Oli McBurnie rubbed salt in their wounds with a third goal six minutes from time, before England striker Kane scored a 90th-minute consolation, tapping in from a Son Heung-min pass.

The result means United leapfrog Spurs to go seventh on 47 points, seven points off the top four, with Mourinho's inconsistent side dropping to ninth as their hopes of securing Champions League football for next season fade.

In Spain, Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos kept his nerve to score a late penalty and secure a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Getafe for a sixth consecutive La Liga victory to take his side one step closer to winning the title.

Ramos coolly passed the ball into the net to break the deadlock in the 79th minute after Dani Carvajal was felled by the trailing leg of Getafe's Mathias Olivera, who was earlier denied a penalty after being knocked over by Carvajal.

The late strike felt harsh on Getafe, who had squandered a couple of chances to take the lead, but Zinedine Zidane's side once again saw out a difficult game to capitalize on Barcelona’s 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Real, who have not won the title since 2017, lead the table on 74 points, four ahead of Barca with five games left and have a superior head-to-head record over the Catalans which would give them the trophy if both teams finished the season level on points.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad came from behind to beat La Liga basement club Espanyol 2-1 at home, earning their first victory since the season resumed after the coronavirus stoppage and boosting their bid for European football next season.

Espanyol's David Lopez headed the visitors in front in the 10th minute following a corner but Sociedad's Brazilian forward Willian Jose slid in to equalize before substitute Alexander Isak struck the winner six minutes from time.

Espanyol edged closer to relegation, staying bottom on 24 points, 10 behind 17th-placed Celta Vigo.