Manchester City have reclaimed top spot in the Premier League with a 5-0 drubbing of Newcastle United that allowed the reigning champions to open up a three-point lead over Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
Raheem Sterling scored twice for the hosts, with Aymeric Laporte, Rodri and Phil Foden also on target, as they shrugged off the bitter disappointment of their Champions League semi-final defeat by Real Madrid.
Sterling eased any early jitters with a header and Laporte's tap-in gave City full control before the interval.
Rodri headed City's third from a corner after the break and Foden swept in his side's fourth, before Sterling struck again in stoppage time, as City took emphatic advantage of Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur the previous day.
Newcastle's Kiwi striker Chris Wood spurned a great chance to give his side an early lead, but the visitors were no match for City, who took an important step towards a fourth title in five seasons.
City have 86 points to Liverpool's 83, both sides having three games remaining and City now have a superior goal difference. Pep Guardiola's side need seven points from their last three games to clinch the title.
Liverpool face Aston Villa on Wednesday, with City up against Wolverhampton Wanderers a day later.
"The defeat to Real Madrid was so, so big, but football is like this," Rodri said. "You have to switch on the focus for the Premier League, because it is even more difficult.
"We did brilliant today and we have to keep going. We expect nothing from Liverpool and we have to keep going.
"We have three finals and have to finish the season like we deserve."
Things might have got edgy, if Wood had found the net with an early header from Allan Saint-Maximin's inviting cross, but he sent a tame effort straight at City goalkeeper Ederson.
City took the lead in the 19th minute, when Ilkay Gundogan clipped a superb ball to the back post for Joao Cancelo to head back across goal and Sterling to nod in.
Wood had an effort ruled out for offside soon after and City moved further ahead after 38 minutes, when Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka spilled the ball and Laporte converted.
Rodri lost his marker to head in Kevin De Bruyne's corner after 61 minutes and Foden got in on the act, when Oleksandr Zinchenko's shot arrived at his feet and he diverted it in.
City saved the best to last, with a flowing move allowing an unmarked Sterling to fire home.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has now lost all 10 of his Premier League meetings against Guardiola.
Meanwhile, Leeds United suffered a huge setback in their battle for Premier League survival with a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal dropping them into the relegation zone, as the hosts took another step towards securing a top-four finish.
Arsenal remained fourth and moved four points clear of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League race before Friday's derby, while Leeds slipped to 18th, as Everton's 2-1 victory at Leicester City lifted them to 16th.
Former Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah fired Arsenal ahead after five minutes, when visiting goalkeeper Illan Meslier dwelled on a routine back pass, allowing the forward to nip in and poke the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
Five minutes later, winger Gabriel Martinelli wriggled past three Leeds defenders, and played a neat cut-back for unmarked Nketiah to tap in and put Mikel Arteta's side firmly in control.
Arsenal were hunting for a third, with Meslier saving efforts from Martinelli and Martin Odegaard, before Leeds were reduced to 10 men midway through the first half, when Luke Ayling was sent off for a reckless two-footed challenge on Martinelli.
Leeds defender Diego Llorente headed in a corner after 66 minutes to give Jesse Marsch's side an unlikely lifeline, as they looked to salvage a point, but Arsenal weathered a nervy finish to close out the victory.
Earlier, Everton climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Leicester City, after defenders Vitalii Mykolenko and Mason Holgate scored at the King Power Stadium.
Frank Lampard's side moved up two spots to 16th on 35 points, one point above the drop zone, as Leeds United slipped to 18th, after a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Holgate nodded in a rebound to put Everton back in front at the half-hour mark, after Leicester striker Patson Daka cancelled out Mykolenko's early opener.
Holgate scored from close range, after Richarlison's header was beaten away by Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel following a corner.
Earlier, Mykolenko's stunning left-foot volley put the visitors in front after six minutes, before Daka levelled the game five minutes later from a defensive mix-up.
Everton fought hard in the second half to keep their lead intact, with keeper Jordan Pickford making three stunning saves, as he tipped away Nampalys Mendy's curling effort and denied substitute Harvey Barnes twice.
The other result of the day saw West Ham trounce relegation-bound Norwich City 4-0.
Reuters/Newshub
