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Zinedine Zidane said he was "proud" of his Real Madrid players after coming through a tough test against Getafe, while insisting "without suffering you cannot achieve anything".

Sergio Ramos was the hero, scoring the only goal from the penalty spot in the 79th minute as the La Liga leaders earned a 1-0 home win on Thursday night.

After full-back Dani Carvajal was upended by Getafe's Mathias Olivera, the Madrid captain coolly converted the spot-kick with 11 minutes remaining at Santiago Bernabeu.

The victory was Madrid's sixth in a row as they extended their advantage over stuttering defending champions Barca to four points with five matches remaining.

Zidane heaped praise upon his squad post-match, but refused to start getting carried away with their position in the league standings.

"There are three more points," Zidane told Movistar. "They are three very important points.

"We had to win yes but nothing more. For us nothing changes. We have five finals left.

"We have not won anything. I know what this is like and until this is over, we cannot say anything.

"We have to keep working. We are happy, proud of the team ... the effort, the solidity that we show, is very good.

"This is football, football every three days is a new story. Today we suffered a lot, the other day against Espanyol too.

"We played against the bottom team, but they always make it difficult for you. Without suffering you cannot achieve anything."

Zidane, whose in-form Madrid side travel to Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, added: "We knew that we would suffer a lot. They pressed very high, it has cost us a little, but it is normal.

"I think that with patience it was known that the goal could be reached. It is what we did, have peace of mind, because these are key moments You have to congratulate the players because it has not been easy, physically or mentally."

After their trip to San Mames Stadium this weekend, Madrid will look ahead to another home fixture against Deportivo Alaves on July 10, which comes just three days before a meeting with Granada as the fixture list continues to pile up.

Pep Guardiola has described Manchester City talisman Kevin De Bruyne as the best midfielder in world football.

Liverpool's first outing as Premier League champions proved one to forget as Guardiola's dethroned City ran out 4-0 winners at the Etihad Stadium.

De Bruyne slotted home a 25th-minute penalty after Joe Gomez fouled Raheem Sterling, who doubled the home side's advantage against his old employers 10 minutes later.

Phil Foden made it 3-0 on the stroke of half-time and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain turned Sterling's shot into his own net to complete the scoring.

The latter two goals featured typically precise De Bruyne passes in the build-up and the Belgium midfielder underlined his case for being the Premier League's outstanding player against unquestionably the division's outstanding team this season.

"He is a really good player. A really, really good player. He has something unique," Guardiola told reporters afterwards.

"He can run, the vision he has. The personality he shows right now, scoring four penalties in a row when we struggled this season with them.

"Right now in the midfield position is the best.

"Of course he can get better. How? He knows it."

Foden was again worthy of praise within the supporting cast, with the England Under-21 midfielder's assured finish bringing his fourth goal in three Premier League outings since the resumption.

"What we have done is try to protect him," Guardiola said.

"Don’t let him play every single game. Young players have to be careful in the first steps.

"He has an incredible thing that makes me convinced for the next decade he will be an incredible player.

"There is not one day when he has had a bad face for not playing. In training sessions, every single action is positive. Every one – look forward, don't regret.

"He is a huge competitor, he is a guy who scores incredible goals, so fast, defensively so strong.

"It's a reality that he played at Old Trafford, he played here. Against incredibly top teams he was there, always playing at a high level.

"I don't want to say anything wrong, but Gareth Southgate has an incredible talent for the national team in his hands. I saw many players in my life, training with incredible players and Phil will be one of them."

Foden's fellow academy graduate Eric Garcia returned to action after suffering a concussion in the 3-0 win against Arsenal and recovered well from a shaky start at centre-back, after Mohamed Salah hit the post during a deceptively strong Liverpool start.

"He played against Salah and [Sadio] Mane. He's 19, he had a kick against Arsenal, was training for three or four days after 10 days out and he was awesome," Guardiola added.

"He doesn't make mistakes. He is always focused, he guides the line, he knows what he has to do.

"As a club, we are so proud to have Phil and Eric. We can count on them, without a doubt."

Ziyad Larkeche has revealed he spoke for Lyon striker Moussa Dembele about his time at Fulham before joining the Cottagers from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 17-year-old was released by French champions to sign for the Championship club, where he will initially link up with their U23 side next season.

It is exactly the same move made by Dembele as a 16-year-old back in 2012, with the forward later moving on to Celtic and now Lyon.

Larkeche says he spoke to the now 23-year-old about his early career, a conversation which helped him decide to sign for the Cottagers.

"It's true that I spoke with Moussa,” Larkeche told Goal. “He called me. It was an afternoon. I was at home watching TV.

“He said ‘do you know who I am?’ I said yes because I knew he was going to call me. We talked for 30 minutes about PSG, Fulham, and more generally English football.

“Like me, he comes from PSG. And even if we don't play at the same position, I asked him for lots of advice. He spoke with my father. The chat was very enriching, constructive, and I can only thank him for that.”

Larkeche is rumoured to have turned down a number of offers from across Europe to sign for Fulham, a decision which may surprise some given the London club is currently in England’s second tier. But the defender is confident he has made the best decision for the good of his career.

"I have been approached by English, Italian, Spanish, French and Belgian clubs. But I finally opted for Fulham,” he added. “English football is forward thinking, where there is a high intensity and it matches my qualities. I like to give intensity in my offensive runs. I like to do it also defensively when necessary.

"Fulham is an historic club of London with great ambitions, values and a state of mind that suits me. I'm convinced that I'll thrive in this club.

"My goal is to join the first team as soon as possible, and I will work hard as usual. Fulham showed me that they wanted me.”

Larkeche also revealed his disappointment at not being offered a contract to stay at PSG, but says he is now focused on the challenge ahead of him in England.

"My family and I were surprised [not to be offered a contract],” he said. “I have been playing at PSG since I was nine and a half.

“Camp des Loges [PSG’ training ground], I know it perfectly. Everyone knows me or my parents.

“It's a page that turns. I misunderstood at first, but I accept the decision and I won’t forget the years spent at Paris Saint-Germain. Now I'm focused on the future. It's time for me to take a new step.”

Liverpool have failed to score in five consecutive away fixtures for the first time in 28 years after being humbled by Manchester City.

The Reds secured the Premier League title after City's 2-1 loss at Chelsea last week, becoming the first club to secure the trophy with seven matches to spare.

Jurgen Klopp's men are also on course to break the record points haul of 100, which was set by City in 2018-19, but they took their eye off the ball at Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

After being welcomed onto the pitch by a guard of honour from the home side, Liverpool started the brighter in a top of the table clash devoid of any atmosphere due to the continued absence of supporters amid the coronavirus pandemic.

However, it was Pep Guardiola's Blues who ended up taking the lead, with Kevin De Bruyne coolly converted a penalty after Raheem Sterling was fouled in the box.

Sterling grabbed his 13th goal of the season to put City 2-0 up with 35 minutes on the clock, as he finished off a flowing counter-attack after showing great composure in the box.

Foden scored the home side's third goal just before the half-time whistle, sending an unstoppable shot past Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson following a quick one-two with De Bruyne.

An Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal compounded the Reds misery in the second period, as City reduced the gap at the top of the Premier League to 20 points with five games left to play.

Liverpool have now gone five consecutive away games without scoring in all competitions for the first time since April 1992, when they endured an eight-match run on the road without a goal.

Their second defeat was also the joint heaviest by a side already crowned champions in Premier League history, with Liverpool having also beaten Arsenal by a 4-0 scoreline the game after their coronation in 1997-98.

Klopp's two worst losses in charge at Anfield have both come at the hands of City, who also thrashed the Reds 5-0 in September 2017, but Reds' supporters are unlikely to be too disheartened given their position in the table.

Liverpool will now have to pick themselves up again ahead of a meeting with Aston Villa on Sunday, while City gear up for a tough trip to Southampton.

Sheffield United’s Lys Mousset has scored more goals as a substitute than any player in 2019-20 Premier League season.

The Senegal prospect came from the bench to fire past Hugo Lloris as the Blades sliced Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 at Bramall Lane on Thursday night.

Having been replaced in the first-half of his side’s 3-0 defeat at Manchester United owing to a knock suffered, the 24-year-old was excused from Sheffield’s FA Cup defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

Nevertheless, he made a comeback against Jose Mourinho’s men after replacing David McGoldrick in the 63rd minute.

He made an instant impact six minutes later after doubling the Blades’ lead after tucking into the net from six yards out thanks to a cross from Enda Stevens.

That marked his first league goal in 2020 as well his sixth in 27 appearances for Chris Wilder’s men in his debut season at Bramall Lane having joined from Bournemouth on July 21, 2019 for a record fee in the region of £10m on a three-year contract.

The effort also ensured that he is the Premier League’s highest-scoring substitute so far with three goals, while no club has scored more goals through substitutes than Sheffield.

Following this result, Wilders men climbed to seventh in the log having accrued 47 points from 32 appearances – five points behind Manchester United who occupy the Europa League spot.

His team returns to action on Sunday, facing Burnley at Turf Moor, while Spurs host Alex Iwobi’s Everton on Monday.

Born to a Senegalese father and a French mother, the striker is eligible to represent Senegal at senior level despite featuring for the Europeans at U20 and U21 levels.

He has expressed his willingness to play for the Teranga Lions if called up by coach Aliou Cisse.

“It is true that I have always been attracted to Senegal. I don't watch a lot of football, but when Senegal play I am always in front of my TV. I support them like crazy,” Mousset told Goal.

“The story with the French team is not over because I don't have a selection yet, but if Senegal called me I would say yes.”

Pep Guardiola insisted that "Liverpool arrived with no beers in their blood" after Manchester City's victory over the Premier League champions at Etihad Stadium.

City put the Reds to the sword in Thursday night's top of the table clash, running out 4-0 winners thanks to efforts from Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal.

Liverpool started the game well, with Mohamed Salah coming closest to opening the scoring when he struck the post, but the momentum of the match quickly changed after City were awarded a penalty.

Joe Gomez left the referee with no choice but to point to the spot after bringing down Sterling in the box, and De Bruyne stepped up to cooly slot the ball past Reds number one Alisson from 12 yards.

Sterling doubled the home side's lead when he finished off a quick break, before Foden's superb individual effort put City 3-0 up right on half-time.

The England international beat Allison again in the 66th minute, but Chamberlain was credited with the goal after seeing his attempted clearance find its way into the back of the net.

City were good value for their comprehensive victory in the end, while Liverpool seemed to suffer a hangover of sorts after a week of celebrations on Merseyside.

Jurgen Klopp's men were officially crowned Premier League winners following Chelsea's win over City last Thursday, but Guardiola does not believe that his side came up against a below-par Reds outfit at the Etihad.

He told reporters post-match: "We beat the champions, an extraordinary team. We are brave to play, they are brave to play.

"My team I like every single game. We tried to play football, take risks. The best team I have ever faced in my life at high pressing.

"We had the courage to play in the small spaces.

"It is important. I saw the guard of honour, how they work inside, how focused they were. They didn't even say thank you because they were focused.

"They drank a lot of beers this week but they arrived here with no beers in their blood which is why I give us a lot of credit."

Raheem Sterling insisted that Manchester City are in the process of "evolving" after beating newly-crowned champions Liverpool 4-0, while also stating that "next season started today".

City gave the Reds a guard of honour as a mark of respect for their first league title triumph in 30 years, before proceeding to hand them their second defeat of the campaign.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring from the penalty spot, before Sterling finished off a swift counterattack to double scoreline just after the half-hour mark.

Phil Foden added a third for the hosts, firing past Alisson in the Liverpool net after playing a neat one two with De Bruyne on the edge of the box.

City continued to push for more goals in the second period, and Sterling thought he had grabbed his second in the 66th minute as he saw his seemingly goalbound shot diverted into the far corner by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The strike was ultimately credited as an own goal for Oxlade-Chamberlain, and substitute Riyad Mahrez also saw a late effort ruled out due to Foden's handball in the build-up.

The match finished 4-0 , which flattered Liverpool considering the number of chances Pep Guardiola's men created, and Sterling was in high spirits in his post-match interview.

Asked how motivated City were to get one over on the 2019-2020 Premier League winners, the 25-year-old told Sky Sports: "They (Liverpool) have been brilliant all year, we wanted to have a good game against them.

"We knew we were behind, have been disappointing at times. We had a test against the current champions to make a point and we did brilliantly. Next season started today and we did well.

"This is a team that is evolving and changing, you can see the maturity Phil (Foden) is playing with. I think in the future we have some great players."

Guardiola will now start preparing his players for a trip to St Mary's to face Southampton on Sunday, which comes three days before a home clash against Newcastle.

Carabao Cup winners City could end up finishing the season with three trophies despite missing out on the Premier League, with the FA Cup and Champions League still up for grabs over the next two months.

Sergio Ramos scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot as Real Madrid beat Getafe 1-0 to go four points clear at the top of LaLiga.

The leaders were far from convincing in a frantic derby at the Alfredo di Stefano Stadium on Thursday, but captain Ramos secured a precious victory 11 minutes from time after Mathias Olivera was adjudged to have upended Dani Carvajal.

Victory for Los Blancos, who rested Eden Hazard, was their sixth in a row and they are strong favourites to dethrone stuttering Barcelona with five matches to play.

Getafe were unfortunate to make the short journey home without a point, but Madrid march on in their pursuit of the title.

Champions League hopefuls Getafe started brightly and Thibaut Courtois produced an agile save to deny Nemanja Maksimovic an opening goal eight minutes in.

David Soria brilliantly tipped away Vinicius Junior's close-range effort at the other end after Ferland Mendy and Luka Modric exchanged passes before the Getafe goalkeeper kept out Isco's volley.

Eder Militao replaced Raphael Varane, who took a blow to the head, during a pulsating first half that ended goalless.

Modric came close with a long-range drive that deflected narrowly wide and the lively Jaime Mata saw his measured effort land on the roof of the net following some suspect Madrid defending.

Zinedine Zidane brought on Rodrygo, Federico Valverde and Marco Asensio midway through the second half, but Madrid continued to lack a cutting edge against a well-drilled Getafe side.

Madrid were not to be denied maximum points, though, as Olivera dangled out a leg and to bring down the marauding Carvajal and an ice-cool Ramos tucked the spot-kick to Soria's left.

What does it mean? Madrid showing the hallmark of champions

This will most definitely not go down as one of Madrid's more impressive performances this season, but they were still able to edge out tough opposition.

It was the sort of victory that champions are able to grind out and they have conceded only two goals in six victories since the season resumed.

Ramos a tower of strength

Madrid had some shaky moments as Getafe played with great intensity throughout, but skipper Ramos was rock solid for the majority of the match. He showed his prowess from 12 yards out to cap an impressive performance.

Vinicius fails to provide the spark

Vinicius came into the side with Hazard putting his feet up, but the Brazilian had a night to forget, lacking composure and showing only the odd flash of quality on the left flank as Karim Benzema was starved of service.

What's next?

Madrid will look to take another step towards the title at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, when Getafe visit Osasuna.

Britt Assombalonga was on the scoresheet in Middlesbrough’s 2-1 defeat to Hull City in Thursday’s championship game.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international was handed his 23rd league start in the encounter but his effort was not enough to help his side avoid their 16th defeat of the season.

The forward was, however, able to end his uninspiring form in front of goal, having gone 12 games without finding the back of the net, with his last goal being against QPR in November.  

After returning to winning way against Stoke City, the 27-year-old aimed to help the Smoggies continue the fine form when he handed his side the lead, dispatching his effort from the penalty spot with only four minutes into the encounter.

Herbie Kane, however, levelled proceedings for the KCOM Stadium outfit four minutes later before Mallik Wilks grabbed the match-winner at the death.

The forward featured for 79 minutes before manager Neil Warnock replaced him with Ashley Fletcher in his quest to ensure his side avoided defeat in the encounter.

Assombalonga has now scored seven goals and provided two assists in 30 appearances across all competitions this season.  

The defeat saw Middlesbrough drop to 21st on the Championship table after gathering 44 points from 40 games.

The Smoggies are now three places and one point above the relegation zone, after 10 wins, 14 draws and 16 losses.

Assombalonga has been at the Riverside Stadium since 2017 after joining the side from Nottingham Forest and has found the back of the net 35 times in 108 league games.

The forward will hope to help Middlesbrough bounce back to victory when they face Queens Park Rangers at home on Sunday.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp dismissed suggestions his side were not motivated enough for their match against Manchester City, saying his players displayed a “brilliant attitude” despite being on the end of a 4-0 defeat.

The Reds arrived at Ethad Stadium as newly-crowned Premier League champions and were given a guard of honour by City, title winners the past two seasons, before kick-off.

However, that was the only generosity City offered all evening as Pep Guardiola’s side put in a ruthless display that suggests they will push the Merseysiders all the way for the title next season.

Goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden were on target in the first half, the first time Liverpool went into half-time of a Premier League game 3-0 down since a 6-1 defeat away at Stoke more than five years ago.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s own goal completed the rout after the break, though Riyad Mahrez thought he had made it five in stoppage-time only for VAR to rule his goal out for handball.

It was Liverpool’s heaviest Premier League defeat since a 5-0 thrashing by the same opposition at the same venue in September 2017. Such a scoreline raised inevitable questions about Liverpool’s preparations and whether they had taken the foot off the gas given the title had already been secured.

Klopp bristled at such suggestions after the game, however, vehemently defending his side’s performance and insisting his players were as committed as they have been all season.

"Is the game important to us? I saw a brilliant attitude,” he told Sky Sports.

"They were quicker than us in mind. We lacked fluidity. Against Man City you have massive problems.

"We had moments. We had chances, we didn't use them. The result we have to take.

"If you want to lead this story in direction we were not focused, then do it. I liked my teams attitude, you ask again. Isn't it nice another team can be champions when Man City can play so well.

"Man City are incredible. I saw their season, they didn't play a bad game."

Odion Ighalo believes he has different qualities to Manchester United's other strikers which will enable him to boost Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's attack.

The Nigerian has scored five goals in four starts since arriving on the final day of the January transfer window, and while the 31-year-old has impressed with his own goal tally, he explained he has been given a different role to play in order to help his teammates.

“If you can’t touch the ball or you can’t do anything with the ball, you have to unsettle the defenders so your other teammates can move and do something with the ball. It’s what I was trying to do in the first half against Norwich when I wasn’t getting too many balls,” Ighalo explained to United Review.

“Just keep running, keep putting pressure on them and making them make mistakes so you can have other channels for the players to go into.”

Ighalo, who had his loan deal extended until January 2021, has previous Premier League experience with Watford, however he believes he is a better player now than the one who left Vicarage Road in 2017.

“I think I’ve gained more experience now and I push my game a little bit more than when I was at Watford,” Ighalo said.

“I think I’m even stronger now than I was then and have a bit more fighting ability now to give, plus I have the experience to do what it takes on the field to score goals and to help the team. I feel I have improved from then to now.

“You have to keep the mentality the same, work hard and take the chance when it comes. You play for the team, even if you don’t score a goal, you can give an assist and work for the team. That’s the most important thing because it’s a team game.”

Ighalo’s strength and tendency to play with his back to goal gives Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a different option and with Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood all in good form the 31-year-old is relishing being part of a squad with so much talent.

“Martial is very skilful, he’s a direct striker. He likes to play with the ball at his feet. Rashy likes to run in behind. I think I bring different things to the strikers we have,” Ighalo said.

“I can play with my back to goal, I can keep the ball. I’m strong so it’s different, you know, and for the different games, we play different patterns and with different strategies. So, it’s good to have different types of striker in order to accomplish what you want.”

Mohamed Salah claimed Liverpool’s victory over Leicester City on October 5 last year, proved to be their inspiration in this season’s Premier League title race.

The Reds needed a 95th-minute penalty from James Milner to silence the Foxes 2-1 at Anfield Stadium after James Maddison had levelled Sadio Mane’s first-half effort.

The result helped Jurgen Klopp’s men extend their English top-flight winning run to 17 as well as maintain an early lead in the log.

Nevertheless, Liverpool emerged as champions for the first time since 1990 after Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City failed to win at Stamford Bridge last week.

Speaking to Sky Sport, the Egypt international disclosed that victory over Brendan Rodgers’ men fueled their desire to win the diadem.

"Last season, we didn't have that luck. This season we had it - because you still need the luck anyway - so that moment felt like it was our season so let's go for it.,” Salah said.

"I think the first time we felt [a big moment towards winning the league] was when we beat Manchester City here [at Anfield].

"We said 'OK, now we'll go for it'. Then I think a few games as well, like Leicester City here when we won in the last minute, we knew mentally 'OK, this is our season now'.”

The ex-AS Roma star also reflected on how he felt last term, realising the Reds would lose the English top-flight trophy to the Citizens, comparing it with their success this season.

"I do remember last year the game against Manchester United away, when we drew, and I went to the dressing room, I put a towel over my head and I started to cry because that's the moment I felt like we had lost the Premier League," he continued.

"I think after that game, Manchester City stepped into first place then I was like 'it's going to be tough now because there are only a few games left' and you have to wait for them to draw games or something.

"When I look back to that, it's like 'Great, wow!' it's unbelievable to win it this season after last season because we lost it by one point. It's crazy to lose the Premier League with a one-point difference, it's unbelievable.”

Liverpool's first game since being confirmed as Premier League champions did not go to plan as deposed title-holders Manchester City romped to a 4-0 win at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

The Reds' first top-flight title in 30 years was confirmed when City lost to Chelsea last week and the celebrations of their long-awaited success perhaps caught up with Jurgen Klopp's side, who were ruthlessly dismantled by the rampant hosts. 

A Kevin De Bruyne penalty and clinical finishes from Raheem Sterling and Phil Foden put the game to bed before half-time, while an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal in the second half added to the ignominy.

Liverpool remain a whopping 20 points ahead of City, who are 11 clear of third-place Leicester City.

The visitors had started brightly, Mohamed Salah crashing a low effort against the post inside the opening 20 minutes.

City soon hit the front, though, De Bruyne stroking home a 25th-minute penalty after Sterling was hauled down by Joe Gomez following a sumptuous turn.

Sterling made it 2-0 when he collected Foden's pass inside the area and cleverly clipped past Alisson from eight yards.

Foden added a sublime third shortly before the break, firing over Alisson after the brilliant De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan had combined to carve open Liverpool's defence.

Substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain then turned into his own net in the 66th minute as he stretched to clear Sterling's effort on goal.

City substitute Riyad Mahrez had a stoppage-time goal ruled out by VAR after a handball by Foden in the build-up, but it mattered little as the damage had been well and truly inflicted on Klopp's men by then.

What does it mean? Wounded City humble new champions

Given the scoreline, you would be forgiven for thinking Klopp had decided to field a team of youngsters following their confirmation as Premier League champions. As it was, this was the Reds' strongest XI. They were no match for a City side clearly hurt by losing their title last week, though.

Pep Guardiola will have seen this as an opportunity to lay down a marker for next season and his side did not let him down. Roll on the 2020-21 campaign.

Sterling finally makes his mark against Reds

The England international had to wait until his ninth appearance against his former club to net against them and he certainly enjoyed the moment. He was superb throughout, linking up with De Bruyne and Foden to devastating effect.

Gomez endures game to forget       

Gomez and Sterling had a spat while on England duty last year and the Liverpool defender had a torrid time against his international colleague here.

The City man forced Gomez into a foul for De Bruyne's penalty and generally ran him ragged throughout.

Key Opta Facts:

- Liverpool's two heaviest Premier League defeats under Jurgen Klopp have both been at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City.
- Manchester City have won their last four home Premier League matches by an aggregate score of 14-0.
- Liverpool have failed to score in five consecutive away games in all competitions for the first time since April 1992, when they went eight on the road without a goal.
- This was the joint-heaviest defeat by a side already crowned Premier League champions in a season, with Arsenal losing 4-0 away at Liverpool in 1997-98, which was also the game after they won the title.
- Raheem Sterling scored his first Premier League goal against former side Liverpool in his ninth appearance against the Reds in the competition.
- Phil Foden has been directly involved in 14 goals in his last 17 appearances in all competitions (6 goals, 8 assists), despite only starting 10 of those 17 games.

What's next?

Guardiola's men travel to Southampton on Sunday, while the Reds host relegation-threatened Aston Villa at Anfield on the same day.

Newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool were brought down to earth with a bump on Thursday when they fell three goals behind at half-time in a Premier League game for the first time in five years.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have spent the past week celebrating the club’s first title win in 30 years, secured courtesy of Manchester City’s defeat at Chelsea, meaning only pride was on the line when the Reds travelled to the Etihad Stadium to take on the side they had just deposed as champions.

Liverpool certainly played like little was riding on the game during the first 45 minutes. City, in contrast, performed like they wanted to send a message to Klopp’s side ahead of their title defence next season, racing into a 3-0 half-time lead.

Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring for Pep Guardiola’s side from the penalty spot after Raheem Sterling had been hauled down by Joe Gomez. The Belgian has now been involved in 30 goals in his last 31 Premier League appearances, consisting of 12 goals and 18 assists.

Sterling then got on the scoresheet himself from Phil Foden’s pass, his first Premier League goal against his former club in his ninth appearance against them. England Under-21 international Foden then made it 3-0 to City shortly before the break with a fine finish from De Bruyne’s pass.

It was a bruising 45 minutes for Liverpool and the first time they have been 3-0 down at the break since a 6-1 thrashing at Stoke on the final day of the 2014-15 season, in what was captain Steven Gerrard’s final game for the club.

Brendan Rodgers was Reds boss that day, though he would only be in the job for another four months, with Klopp succeeding the Northern Irishman in October 2015.

It is testament to the progress made under the German that Liverpool have rarely come close to suffering a similar result since.

The Champions League, Premier League, Super Cup and Club World Cup trophies have all been secured over the past two years, with Klopp signalling his determination to build a trophy-laden dynasty at Anfield.

Their horror first half at the Etihad matters little in the context of this season, but suggests Liverpool will face a real fight if they are to hold off City make it back-to-back titles next campaign.

Ebere Orji has expressed her delight following her fine scoring start for Linkopings after a 3-0 victory over Vaxjo in their Damallsvenskan opening match of the season on Sunday.

The 27-year-old made an impactful Damallsvenskan debut for Olof Unogard's team since arriving from Umea in February and scored a brace to hand her side a winning start this term.

Before the tie, she featured in the triumphs over Eskilstuna United and Orebro and went on to open the scoring in the 14th minute.

The Nigeria international further created a penalty from the spot which was converted by Frida Maanum in the 24th minute before she sealed the victory in the 32nd minute at Linkoping Arena.

Despite being taken off in the 81st minute, she won the Player of the Match as a reward for her fantastic contributions in the victory and is pledging to keep up her good showing in front of goal.

"I appreciate God for the victory and my contributions against Vaxjo," Orji told Goal. 

"As a team, we really performed well and worked hard to get our goals early in the match. It was a team effort and I'm glad to see that we started the season very well.

"I played a very important role in the victory as a striker and I actually did my best to make sure we won the game. I am happy at the club and also felt welcomed and special as well.

"I'm grateful for the [Player of the Match] award and it made me feel proud of my contributions in the match. I give God all the glory for that and also my teammates for the support.

"We are in good shape as a team and I'm very keen to keep giving my best and also hungry to deliver more goals to help the team go far this season.

"To the fans, they should expect more good results and goals from me this season."

The win puts Linkopings in the second position on the Damallsvenskan log with three points and she will hope to continue with her fine form against Vittsjö GIK in Hässleholm on July 5.

It has been an interesting day as 10 years on from Ghana's famous 2010 World Cup quarter-final clash with Uruguay, football fans took to social media to share their thoughts on what could have been but never was.

While some fans hailed Uruguay ace Luis Suarez for producing the 'save of the tournament' in denying Ghana an obvious winning goal with an illegal hand save, others simply sympathised with the Black Stars. 

For most people, however, it was a perfect time to troll Ghana's villain on the day Asamoah Gyan, who at least inspired the Black Stars to the last eight.

Following a 1-1 draw after normal time, the game headed into extra-time where Ghana won a penalty in what was to be the last kick of the game, Suarez having blocked a goal-bound Dominic Adiyiah header.

After the Uruguay hit-man was sent off for his unprofessional act, Gyan, who had successfully converted two penalties prior, stepped up but could only drive his shot against the upright. 

A penalty shoot-out followed shortly where the Black Stars lost 4-2.

Thursday's social media fans were so intense they drew reactions from Gyan himself.

Former international Ifeanyi Udeze has advised Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr to assign assistant manager Joseph Yobo as the team’s defensive trainer.

Yobo was appointed as the national team’s assistant in February by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) as a replacement for Imama Amapakabo, who was sacked after performing poorly at Wafu, Chan and Olympic qualifiers.

The former Super Eagles captain delivered solid defensive displays for his clubs and country during his playing years before his retirement.

Yobo spent most of his career with Everton, where he made 220 league appearances after moving from Marseille, initially on loan before penning a permanent deal.

The former Norwich City centre-back, who also played for Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce and Belgian club Standard Liege, had 101 caps for the Super Eagles, the joint-highest with Vincent Enyeama.

Udeze, who made 35 appearances for the three-time African champions, feels Yobo has garnered enough experience to help the national team’s defence.  

“In this modern era of coaching, apart from the head coach, who coordinates all the departments, assistant coaches are assigned to manage some departments of the team. That’s why I think Yobo should be deployed to the Eagles’ defence and defensive midfield,” Udeze told the Guardian.

“He has played at the highest level of football and acquired enough experience, So, handling these areas will not be a problem for him.

“We should understand that club football is different from national team games. Yobo should be in a better position to talk to the players on the best approach and positioning in the national team.”

The Super Eagles were billed to take on Sierra Leone in Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers back in March before the game was postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

Caf recently released a statement postponing the Africa Cup of Nations from 2021 to January 2022 due to the spread of the pandemic to the continent while it is yet to be known when the qualifiers will resume.

The Super Eagles currently lead Group L with six points after victories against the Republic of Benin and Lesotho.

Udeze started his career with Bendel Insurance and went on to play for Kavala, PAOK Thessaloniki, West Bromwich Albion and AEK Athens before his retirement.

Jose Mourinho said VAR is bad for the "beautiful game" after watching Tottenham lose at Sheffield United on Thursday, and expressed his belief that "the referee should be the man on the pitch".

Spurs suffered their 11th defeat of the season at Bramall Lane, as the Blades ran out deserved 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Sander Berge, Lys Mousset and Oli McBurnie.

Berge opened the scoring on the half-hour mark, but Harry Kane appeared to hit an equaliser two minutes later after a dizzying run from Lucas Moura.

Tottenham's joy was short-lived, however, as a VAR review ruled that Moura handled the ball as he went down under a challenge just outside the box.

Referee Michael Oliver chalked Kane's goal off, and although he found the net again late on, it was the Blades who earned all three points after an impressive second-half performance.

Mourinho questioned the way video technology is used, insisting the removal of human error is having a detrimental effect on the game.

The Spurs boss told reporters: "I think I cannot say what I feel. It's not the referee anymore. The man on the pitch is the assistant referee, The man and lady with the flags are now the assistants of the assistant referees.

"The referee should be the man on the pitch. We are going into a direction which is really bad for a game that is a beautiful game."

Mourinho added on his side's inability to respond after Oliver's controversial first-half decision: "We have to do better. We have to be mentally stronger to cope with what happened in the game. We cannot mentally die after Michael Oliver's decision.

"I think the team was playing well in the first half. We scored and then the team felt too much. I think now I know more the profile of my players.

"I know it's difficult to take, in the second half we had the ball but we didn't have chances to change the game.

"We played with a very offensive team plus Gio [Lo Celso] and Moussa [Sissoko] as midfield players. We have to create more chances then we did. I have to admit I am disappointed."

Tottenham are now nine points behind Chelsea in the race for a top-four finish, with a tough fixture against an in-form Everton side up next on Monday.

Pressed on how he will motivate his squad for their remaining six fixtures after such a damaging setback, Mourinho responded: "It's very easy to motivate myself because it's my nature. I think the motivation should be self-motivation that is directly related to professionalism.

"If these boys don't care about results and the position we finish in at the end of the season then we will be in big trouble in the future."