Liverpool v Manchester City: Community Shield – live! | Football
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10:32
32 min This has been a very open, enjoyable game. All it’s missing is a bit of unnecessary needle.
10:30
29 min Salah completes a hat-trick of missed chances, flicking over the bar with the outside of his left foot after a poor header from Zinchenko. He could have played it square to Firmino, but I wouldn’t be too critical: he suffers from a rare medical conditions which means he loses all peripheral vision every time he enters the penalty area.
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10:27
27 min This is a better spell for Liverpool, who are enjoying some leisurely possession for the first time in the game.
“Man City are on their way to turning into a ruthless championship-winning machine, if they already aren’t there,” says Abhijato Sensarma. “I just can’t see them losing even on days they’re ‘decent’, because simple decency for them exists on another plane compared to the rest out there. Going by their quality and their performances, are they the best team in the world at the moment?”
Depends which team you mean. I think Domestic City are the best in the world; European City are not.
10:25
25 min “So, not content with having the most stylish team and manager in the league, City also now have the most stylish kit in the Premier,” says Michael Jenkins. “They really don’t want to leave even crumbs for the rest, do they?”
Well…
10:22
22 min Salah and Firmino have looked really lively. Liverpool’s problem is in midfield, where they are being outplayed.
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10:20
20 min “Personally I think Liverpool punched well over their weight last year,” says Andrew Lingard. “I reckon City will run away with it this year.”
That wouldn’t shock me. City are almost nailed on to get at least 90 points; the imponderable is whether Liverpool can indeed go again.
10:18
17 min Good save from Alisson! Gabriel Jesus played a nice through ball to De Bruyne, who was trying to get the ball out of his feet when Robertson made a good challenge from the side. The ball ran along the area to Sterling, whose first-time shot towards the near post was beaten away by the sprawling Alisson.
10:16
15 min This is great fun. Salah scorches away from Zinchenko on the right, cuts into the box and whips a shot that hits the outside of the near post. Bravo had it covered but it was a blistering run from Salah.
10:16
14 min City look much sharper than Liverpool at the moment. Given Liverpool’s lamentable pre-season form, I think we have to ask an uncomfortable question: has Jurgen Klopp taken this side as far as he can?
10:14
13 min Gabriel Jesus replaces Leroy Sane. Liverpool’s defenders were half asleep for that goal, while Alisson will also be a bit annoyed that Sterling’s shot wriggled past him.
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10:13
Table of Contents
ToggleGOAL! Liverpool 0-1 Manchester City (Sterling 12)
Raheem Sterling puts City ahead. It came from a neat free-kick by City. The ball was played short to Walker, who curled it over the top to find Zinchenko on the left of the area. He headed it back across goal, David Silva helped it on at the near post and Sterling sidefooted a volley through Alisson from six yards.
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10:11
11 min “What happened to Man City’s shirt sponsors?” says Manoj Narayan. “Is their lack of advertising on the shirt a temporary arrangement or will we see it for the whole year?”
It’$ a one-off. Looks great, though.
10:10
10 min Sane is struggling here. He landed awkwardly after being fouled by Alexander-Arnold, and I don’t think he’ll be able to continue. That will be a relief to Alexander-Arnold, who was starting to get a bit of a chasing.
10:09
8 min Salah misses an excellent chance, sidefooting wide from 10 yards after more smart work from Firmino. Salah took it first time, which is why he dragged it past the near post.
10:07
6 min Lovely play from Firmino. He flies through the air to control the ball at neck height before moving it back onto his left foot and swishing a shot from the edge of the area that is patted down by Bravo.
10:05
4 min A half-chance for City. Sterling nicks the ball off Gomez, 30 yards from goal, and plays in Sane on the left side of the box. He gallops past Alexander-Arnold before crashing the ball into the side netting from a tight angle.
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10:04
3 min Rodri has had a couple of early touches, simple one-touch passes that Spanish holding midfielders play so well.
10:02
1 min John Stones, who was last seen having a stinker for England in Portugal, is pressed in his own six-yard box by Origi and Firmino, but calmly passes the ball between them to find Kevin De Bruyne. Takes moxie, that.
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09:59
After the usual performance of the national anthem, booed as always by the Liverpool fans, the players shake hands and take their positions.
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09:54
“So, Claudio Bravo in goal,” says Robert Hisnay. “And Phil Foden on the bench. Thoughts?”
Ederson was never going to start, and David Silva is ahead of Foden, no? It’s an important season for Foden, though. He needs more than three Premier League starts.
09:32
There’s plenty of other live sport going on, if you’re into all that
09:02
Team news
Liverpool (4-3-3) Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Origi.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Lovren, Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Shaqiri, Matip.
Manchester City (4-1-2-3) Bravo; Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko; Rodri; De Bruyne, D Silva; B Silva, Sterling, Sane.
Substitutes: Ederson, Gundogan, Jesus, Aguero, Angelino, Foden, E Garcia.
05:04
Preamble
Hello. The Premier League is the richest and most popular league in the world. But there’s one thing money can’t buy: hate. English football has not had a classic rivalry since Arsenal and Manchester United’s mutual enmity fizzled out in 2005. And although we’re unlikely to see a decade-long feud like that again, there is a real chance that, for the next few years, Liverpool and Manchester City could provide the kind of rivalry that elevates sport to the highest possible level.
The signs are good. They are the champions of Europe and England respectively, and arguably the two best teams in the world. They have already taken part in an extraordinary title race, not to mention an immense, intense Champions League quarter-final, and are likely to form their own mini-league again this season. Today they meet in the Community Shield, the match all journalists are contractually obliged to describe as the curtain-raiser for a new season. And although the game means nothing, it might tell us something about the relationship between the sides.
When their rivalry was at its peak, Arsenal and United usually turned this match into a pre-season unfriendly. Football has changed since Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira compared testosterone levels, and the burgeoning rivalry between City and Liverpool has been defined as much as anything by mutual respect. But things might be about to get a little saltier.
There was some needle in City’s vital league win at the Etihad in January, and there have been a few words in the build-up to this game. Anfield will not want for atmosphere when City visit in November. And if it all kicks off today, we’ll know something special is brewing.
Kick off is at 3pm.
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