LIVERPOOL, England -- The Premier League trophy still sits on display in Liverpool's club museum at Anfield, but they can start to take off the red ribbons and label it for a return to previous owner after Manchester City's rampant 4-1 victory made this season's title race a formality and ended the defending champions' hopes of retaining their crown.
To suggest that City's win signalled a changing of the guard would be over-playing things somewhat, considering that Pep Guardiola's team had won back-to-back titles prior to Liverpool's first in 30 years last season.
For City, they will believe their victory -- a first at Anfield since 2003 and for Guardiola as a manager - was merely a sign of normal service being resumed.