We may be counting down the minutes until the 2019/20 Premier League season kicks off next weekend, but thankfully today’s meeting of the big guns will keep us tided over until then.
There’s early silverware up for grabs at Wembley Stadium with Liverpool and Manchester City going head-to-head at 3pm [live on BT Sport 1]. The battle of the Premier League and FA Cup holders and the European champions, the meeting of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, all on the biggest stage across the water; what’s not to love.
Stick with us through the afternoon for all the action.
Some team news first…
Man City: Bravo, Walker, Stones, Otamendi, Zinchenko, Rodri, Silva (C), De Bruyne, Sane, Bernardo, Sterling.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Origi, Salah, Firmino.
Wembley is filling up, the teams are in the tunnel and kick-off is fast approaching.
Two unnamed fans who are surely in the stadium by now…
A few seconds to go now…
KICK-OFF: Liverpool have just gotten us underway at Wembley. Martin Atkinson’s the referee today.
Both sides are just settling into this one nicely, taking it pretty easy. Nothing of major note to report just yet. It’s the 183rd meeting of City and Liverpool today; a rivalry that’s really come to the fore over the past few seasons. The best in England v the best in Europe, let’s do this.
Really loud rings of, ‘Allez, allez, allez’ around the ground already. The first significant attach of the day sees Liverpool give the ball away in defence, and City capitalise on that. Sane’s effort from the left comes off the side netting, however. Good play from Sterling in the build-up.
And then comes Liverpool’s first real effort. Some lovely skillful touches from Roberto Firmino before he pulls the trigger. Bravo gets behind the powerful effort. This game is heating up nicely already.
There have been no shortage of mistakes early on with the ball being given away left, right and centre. City add to that, with Kevin De Bruyne rusty from the game’s first corner. It sweeps right across the box to no avail.
CLOSE! Mo Salah really should have done better there with space opening up before the City goal, but he fires his shot wide. Firmino did well in the build-up, winning the ball on the edge of the box and playing the pass through.
There’s some concern around the stadium now with Sane looking in pain on the ground after going down as himself and Alexander-Arnold went for a high ball. He’s up on his feet now, limping around with the City medical team.
Manchester City 1 Liverpool 0 (Sterling, 11)
GOAL! The ball finds it way into the back of the net from the boot of Raheem Sterling. A flick from Silva kicked that off, but Liverpool really should have done better. Alisson fumbled it on the line.
Sterling had failed to score in 10 appearances against Liverpool in all competitions, the most he has faced any side without netting for City. That changes today! Elsewhere, Jesus has come on for the injured Sane.
We’ve had promising attacks at both ends since, the latest of those another Salah miss. Alisson was forced to save prior to that, with all momentum with the Blues. Liverpool will be kicking themselves after the goal but to City’s credit, that looked like one straight off the training ground.
This is all City at the minute. They’re really piling the pressure on, forcing another Alisson save and undoubtedly dominating possession all over the field.
Klopp’s Reds enjoying a little bit of possession now. They need to make use of it, because City most definitely are when they get their chance. There’s no real go on Liverpool however, they’re happy to just play it across the back four and then around the middle, and patiently build up an attack.
Sterling is bossing it against his former club, his lighting pace causing Liverpool serious problems down the left. Liverpool are fairly living off scraps with City in firm control. They’re just looking to catch Guardiola’s side on the break for the most part.
A look at the early goal that has City 1-0 up… and the clever set-piece it came from.
GOL! Liverpool 0-1 Manchester City, 13' Sterling pic.twitter.com/VssBBiuLgC
— Gol Video TV (@golvideostv) August 4, 2019
Liverpool did just that: attacked from the counter there, with Origi impressing down the left. The ball eventually finds it way to Salah over the far side, he has time, but — again — scuffs his most recent effort, this time over the bar.
De Bruyne sees yellow for a challenge around the middle on Origi. The Liverpool man was flying through a sea of blue at pace but taken down by the Belgian. The Reds again go backwards, and rather than popping the free in towards the box, they play it around on the ground. City, again, catch them out and they’re in possession with order restored.
Another good break from Liverpool there, but nothing really comes off it. Just after that incident with de Bruyne, Origi miscontrols it and there’s a sarcastic cheer from the City fans. Possession is switching over and back, no real attacks being launched.
Then, Sterling tries to feed the ball to Jesus in the box but van Dijk intercepts.
Alexander-Arnold delivers a Liverpool corner from the right. It’s high and it also sweeps right across the face of the goal; so much so that it goes out the other side.
A lovely ball from Stones is played through the Liverpool defence right through the eye of the needle, but as de Bruyne runs onto it, he’s blown for offside. They’re causing Liverpool all kinds of problems by getting in behind.
Meanwhile, David Silva is down injured after an incident with Gomez. Both players went for the ball in the air with the boots up but there was no real malice in it. Players take advantage of the stoppage as both teams gather for drinks breaks.
Pep Guardiola is fairly animated on the line, protesting the challenge; mocking the boots going up in the air to the fourth official. He’s shown yellow for that.
The good news is Silva seems okay, and play is back underway.
Few niggles here and there — Bernardo Silva shoves Origi over by the corner. Alexander-Arnold’s deep free-kick then is headed back across goal and Bravo deals with it accordingly.
Three minutes added…
That yellow card for Guardiola was a weird one. Innovative, it must be, as we’ve not heard of it before.
Meanwhile on the field, a corner is swung into the danger zone and Alisson fumbles it clear under pressure from Jesus. He’s done well since coming on.
Silva plays de Bruyne in — another super run in behind. There were calls for offside, but no. Eventually cut out in the box.
HALF-TIME: Manchester City 1 Liverpool 0
So, City lead through Sterling’s early goal. They’ve been by far the better team throughout but it must be said that Mo Salah should have a goal or two. What do you think after that half of football? Will City power on from here? Can Liverpool claw back?
Who’ll do it?
Poll Results:
SECOND-HALF: We go again. Neither manager has made a change at half time. Weird one, considering they can both make six. I suppose there is a fitness element as well, it’s important for players to get minutes in the legs ahead of next weekend.
City with the second half’s first attack at Wembley, and it’s David Silva who gets the shot off. His effort blazes just over the bar. They again look much the sharper side.
Liverpool bite back at the other end with a chance of their own but Origi’s effort is a weak one. City on the break again and who else, only Sterling. He’s been superb today but doesn’t double his luck with the shot coming off the post. The flag had gone up anyway.
Oh, and actually, he set up that early Silva chance too.
Mo Salah is racing up the right wing, Zinchenko gets a touch and it’s out for a corner. Alexander-Arnold whips it in, Firmino and van Dijk get heads to it but nothing… Better from Klopps’ Champions League winners all the same.
Sterling’s promising run down the left is cut out by Alexander-Arnold. Likewise at the other end, Origi and Firmino combine; the ball knocked off by the latter and out for a corner. Alexander-Arnold whips it in and oh wow, CLOSE!!!!
Van Dijk with the shot, it comes off the very bottom of the crossbar, bounces down toward the line and stays out… we think?
Van Dijk thought that was in, as did Klopp and many people around the stadium; but goal-line technology confirmed it was not…
Salah hits the post! Jesus, it’s all happening now. He got free from a few City players and drove a low shot through the legs of Silva, Bravo was unsighted and it hit the outside of the post.
Then we had to go to VAR to see if a challenge warranted a red card. No red card it says… not really sure what happened, but it was a challenge in the City box after the rebound of that Salah shot.
City’s second change: Gundogan on, Silva off.
CLOSE! Sterling was in there, put through on goal by Walker. Van Dijk piled on the pressure and with a red shirt in sight, Sterling was in two minds about whether to go himself or pass it off. He had so much time still, but he did neither and ran straight into Alisson.
Liverpool have been looking much better this half, coming into the game more and more. A Reds goal would make a real game of this. Just in case you don’t know, there is no extra time… level at 90 minutes = straight to penalties.
Two Liverpool subs: Matip for Alexader-Arnold and Keita for Fabinho. Klopp’s first changes of the afternoon, with Gomex expected to slot in to right-back for the formation to change slightly.
We’ve conquered all of Europe, we’re never gonna stop, sing the Liverpool fans. The atmosphere in Wembley has upped a level or two, as have the Reds on the field.
Salah’s latest effort comes close again. but is saved by Bravo. The Egyptian King can’t buy a goal right now!
Otamendi, the last man, made a really important, lunging tackle on Salah, there after he tried to nutmeg him on the edge of the box. He’s looked good today but will be frustrated with all his misses.
De Bruyne screwed a low shot from the left of the box, comfortably kept out by Alisson though. Henderson tried to play Salah in at the other end then, but that’s kept out too. Liverpool are pushing more and more, keep these chances coming and they’ll score.
Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1 (Matip 76)
The goal was coming…. Matip heads home! Henderson fires a good free-kick into the box, it finds its way out to van Dijk on the left. His cross in then meets Matip’s head and we’re all square.
A triple change for Liverpool: Shaqiri, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lallana replace Firmino, Henderson and Origi.
The momentum is all theirs now, the sizable Liverpool crowd are loving it!
77,565 is the official attendance at Wembley today.
The Fields is in full flow around the stadium, and suddenly Wembley feels like Anfield. Liverpool have well and truly arrived with less than 10 minutes to go in this Community Shield clash. Can they get another?
CLOSE! Bravo produces a brilliant save to deny Keita. So important, with Liverpool definitely on top. Lallana did well in the build up there, picking Keita out on the edge of the box. Probably should have done better…
Remember, as it stands we’re going to penalties. Five-and-a-half minutes to go…
CLOSE! Salah with another good run, there’s more options on but he opts to go himself. Zinchenko, I think, gets a foot to it and the deflection takes a massive spin in the air, dipping down toward goal but Bravo keeps it out.
Bravo saves another… Liverpool are piling the pressure on as they go in search of a winner. Another shot for Salah on the edge of the box, God! Bravo had made the clever decision to come out and he smothers the effort.
It has been all Liverpool for the past few minutes but then just like that, City almost have an opening at the other end. De Bruyne looks to play Jesus in but it’s cut out.
In comes Foden for De Bruyne.
Some scrappy play from both teams around the middle as penalties loom ever nearer. There are shouts for a City free in but the referee deems that Keita won it cleanly. Nothing comes off the Liverpool attack that follows.
Four minutes additional time announced.
City looked like they could have had a winning moment there with Sterling racing around the box but the Liverpool defence does brilliantly.
OH MY GOD, GOAL-LINE CLEARANCE!!! Salah nearly had the winner there but Walker SOMEHOW keeps it out.
The drama at Wembley, oh my God… City gave the ball away there, Salah was charging in but Bravo came out to stop him. He somehow got it back and in slow motion, his header was heading towards the goals. Then, up pops Walker. Incredible.
Another save from Bravo, and then just like that, we’re off to penalties it seems with Atkinson blowing it up ahead of the four-minute mark.
FULL-TIME OF NORMAL TIME: Liverpool 1 Manchester City 1 – penalties to follow.
Straight to penalties we go so after a rip-roaring second half. The first half was all City, the second half all Liverpool, but who will it be after the shoot-out?
Poll Results:
After a cracking game, here’s hoping for a just as good of a penalty shootout.
Bravo has been City’s hero in that second half. How will he fare now?
Shaqiri fires Liverpool to the perfect start. 1-0.
Gündoğan scores City’s first. 1-1.
Bravo saves!
Bernardo Silva scores his. Advantage City. 2-1.
Lallana rolls his in, just under Bravo. 2-2.
Foden smashes his in. City still lead. 3-2.
Oxlade-Chamberlain scores, top corner. Nice. Liverpool back level. 3-3.
Zinchenko’s goes in. Alisson gets his hands to it but it still ends up in the net. 4-3 City. Salah next.
No problem for Salah. Super penalty.
4-4, up steps Jesus.
HE DOES IT! City win!!!
After a 1-1 draw in normal time, Manchester City win the penalty shootout 5-4 to lift the 2019 Community Shield at Wembley.
Decent game, that, with a really exciting ending. If that sets the tone for the Premier League season, we’re definitely in for a good one. You can read our report on The42 now, with plenty more colour, reaction and analysis to follow.
That’s all from me. Thanks for reading, as always, and enjoy your evening.
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