Community Shield: Manchester City v Liverpool - the Big Match

Manchester City v Liverpool
Community Shield

TV details

BT Sport 1, 3pm Sunday

Match odds

19-20 Manchester City Betway
14-5 Liverpool general
14-5 Draw general

Form

Treble winners and Community Shield holders Manchester City have not been overly tested in their recent friendly wins over Hong Kong's Kitchee (6-1) and Yokohama of Japan (3-1).

Before that City had failed to win the Asia Trophy, losing on penalties to Wolves in the final after hammering West Ham 4-1.

Liverpool started in comfortable fashion with cosy victories over EFL opponents Tranmere and Bradford before a sticky spell in the States which saw them lose 3-2 to Dortmund and 2-1 to Sevilla and draw
2-2 with Sporting.

Things took a turn for the worse as they were thumped 3-0 by Napoli in Edinburgh, although the return of Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino helped Liverpool to a 3-1 success against Lyon on Wednesday.

Team news

Aymeric Laporte has been rated doubtful and Pep Guardiola needs to decide whether he starts any of his five Copa America participants - Ederson, Fernandinho, Sergio Aguero, Gabriel Jesus and Nicolas Otamendi - after they arrived back in Manchester earlier this week.

Algeria's Riyad Mahrez remains on holiday after helping his nation to win the Africa Cup of Nations and Liverpool's Sadio Mane is also resting after his Afcon exploits with Senegal.

Nathaniel Clyne is a long-term absentee for the Merseysiders.

The tactical battle

Raheem Sterling has been used as a central striker in pre-season due to the absence of Aguero and Jesus and would offer a different kind of threat if used in that position against his former club.

New recruit Rodri is set to start in central midfield and is arguably better in possession than Fernandinho, which adds an intriguing new dimension to City's midfield.

Liverpool are largely unchanged from last season, with the main tactical tinkering over pre-season seeing a new role for Adam Lallana, who has been tried out in a deep-lying playmaker position.

The Big Kick-Off

• Championship title contenders
• League One title contenders
• League Two title contenders

Verdict

It's never worth getting heavily involved in what is a glorified Wembley friendly but Sterling could be of interest to notch first in the Community Shield if he continues as the main striker.

Red-hot Raheem has four goals in as many friendlies and bagged 31 times for club and country last season. Draw 1-1.

Key stats

• Only one of the last nine Community Shield matches has finished in a 90-minute draw
• Man City have won only two of their last 12 meetings against Liverpool
• City have won 16 of their last 17 matches
• Liverpool have kept eight clean sheets in their last ten outings

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