New season, same old Liverpool. When, back in 2019, the Reds came up against Manchester City in the Community Shield, they went into the match with fans fretting after some disappointing warm-up performances and results.
While his team would eventually lose on penalties, Jurgen Klopp later admitted he had seen enough in their showing to know they would be fine for the campaign ahead. Liverpool going on to wrench the Premier League title from City’s grasp with a runaway success and end a 30-year wait to be crowned champions.
Nobody would be brave or foolish enough to forecast a repeat after the latest meeting between the two modern rivals. But Klopp will have once again taken significant encouragement from a raucous occasion even before the late drama that ensured the Reds boss completed a clean sweep of available domestic honours during his tenure.
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After the questions of recent weeks, Liverpool delivered some compelling answers. But one player in particular will have enjoyed proving a resounding point.
Certainly, the compilation kids who have taken great delight in dismantling Darwin Nunez’s intermittent summer showings since his £64million move from Benfica will have been left twiddling their thumbs after the Uruguayan came off the bench to take the game away from City.
Nunez, introduced shortly before the hour, had already almost removed Ederson’s head with one shot from close range when the hand of Ruben Dias got in the way of a close-range header from Mohamed Salah’s cross, referee Craig Pawson eventually giving the penalty from which Salah thumped home.
Then, four minutes into injury time, Nunez stooped to conquer with another header after Andy Robertson had nodded down Salah’s deep cross with the City defence nowhere.
The sheer delight on the face of the forward and his new team-mates as he raced to the corner flag in front of the jubilant Reds supporters spoke volumes. Nunez, like Liverpool, is up and running.
At the other end, Erling Haaland had his thunder stolen somewhat by fellow City summer arrival Julian Alvarez, whose equaliser with 20 minutes remaining was deserved reward for City’s probing after falling behind to Trent Alexander-Arnold’s deflected opener midway through the first half. Haaland’s misery was made complete in injury time when he hit the bar from six yards with the goal gaping.
Nevertheless, resoundingly clear is that it will be some effort for a team to end the Premier League duopoly of Liverpool and City. As so often the case when the teams meet, this was an engrossing, end-to-end encounter.
Another matter that hasn’t changed is the importance and influence of Salah. The Egyptian, his contract uncertainty a distant memory, was involved in all three Liverpool goals with his overall performance indicating he will once again be key to anything the Reds achieve over the next nine or so months.
There was also the small psychological bonus of scoring from the spot at the King Power Stadium, after being denied in the league fixture with Leicester City here last season.
Having spent a significant part of of pre-season giving youth a chance, Klopp turned to experience here, a starting XI with the average age of 29 years and 315 days the oldest for Liverpool since September 1953. And if there had been concerns Liverpool were undercooked due to a lack of warm-up minutes, City were in an even more challenging situation going into this game having played just two friendlies.
That lack of preparation was perhaps evident as Klopp’s side began far the stronger. Roberto Firmino, preferred to Nunez from the start, led a strong press that sought to pin City back towards their own goal. While the approach had its merits, the Reds had far more joy when they looked to turn Guardiola’s side around quickly with longer balls, whether out of defence or diagonals from midfield.
Salah was usually the target after it was quickly discovered that while Joao Cancelo was a real threat going forward, the City left-back doesn’t have quite the same appetite for tracking back.
And having struck into the side-netting after being released for a run by one raking Matip pass, the Egyptian was involved in the opener on 21 minutes, laying the ball off for Alexander-Arnold to whip a shot from 20 yards that was helped on its way by a glance off the head of Nathan Ake, sufficient to take it away from Ederson and in off the post.
City responded well to going behind and dominated the remainder of the half, finding increasing space between the defence and midfield as Liverpool gradually dropped deeper. The trademark intricate build-up play was evident – Kevin De Bruyne usually integral – but Guardiola’s were too often outfoxed by the puzzle of how to bring Haaland into the game.
The Norwegian saw one half-chance kept out by Adrian and got one acrobatic effort horribly wrong, but was largely kept in check by Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip.
Adrian saved from Riyad Mahrez either side of the interval but will have been disappointed with City’s equaliser, making a good save from Phil Foden but unable to beat the substitute to the rebound, allowing Alvarez to sneak in and score.
Liverpool, though, appeared the fitter side in the closing stages and, with fresh legs from the bench, ended the stronger, providing Nunez the platform for his late flourish.
“Every little things gonna be all right” sang the travelling Kop before Jordan Henderson’s latest trademark trophy lift shuffle. The evidence of this impressive outcome suggests as much. Klopp can sleep easy tonight.
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