And just like that… the English domestic league is back underway.
Sunday’s Community Shield between Liverpool and Man City pits last year’s top two sides in the Premier League against each other having being separated by the slenderest of margins over last season’s 38 matches.
Wembley Stadium will welcome the teams who travel south to North London’s “Home of Football”, with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp renewing their respected rivalry after an unforgettable 2018-19 campaign.
Once again, Liverpool and Man City are expected to contest the domestic prizes on offer in England this season – you can be sure they would agree to swap their Champions League and Premier League titles which they secured in May this year.
There will be significant attention placed on the introduction of Video Assistant Referees for this Community Shield “curtain-raiser”. We have seen VAR used in the League Cup previously last season, but with the technology being implemented in the league for the first time this season, Wembley’s match will be under added scrutiny.
Neither side has made huge strides in the transfer market this summer. Sepp van den Berg – a 17-year-old Dutch defender – has joined Klopp’s roster for a modest fee, with Rodri arriving from Atletico Madrid to bolster Pep’s fragile midfield. The £62 million man is expected to feature heavily for City this season; they’ve been hunting a replacement for the injury-prone Fernandinho for some time now.
City have been in scintillating pre-season form scoring 13 goals in four matches. Wolves managed to hold them to an unexpected 0-0 draw eventually beating them on penalties in a humid Hongkou Stadium – not a result that Guardiola will have lost much sleep over.
Liverpool have enjoyed less success over their pre-season period. Domestic wins at Tranmere and Bradford were caveated by losses to Dortmund, Sevilla and Napoli, with only a share of the spoils managed against Sporting.
The important factor to consider coming into this Sunday’s fixture is the plethora of attacking talent that will be missing for Klopp’s Reds. Sadio Mane – arguably Liverpool’s best player last season – and Mo Salah are unlikely to feature following being granted time off following the African Cup of Nations. This will allow youngster Rhian Brewster to stake his claim for a starting spot early in the season, with Bobby Firmino expected to find himself on the scoresheet more than he managed last campaign.
City start as the obvious favourites at 20/21 with MarathonBet. At close to evens its a good price considering the available players City are likely to field in comparison to Liverpool. City have had recent success in this fixture, beating Chelsea in the 2018 edition.
Goals will be expected under the Wembley arch. Both teams know how to find the back of the net scoring a combined 184 goals in the league last season. Pre-season – as well as the Community Shield – is considered a “free hit” by many teams, with their attacking players given a freedom they may not be allowed throughout the season. Notching a few goals will be paramount for the confidence of the strikers involved, meaning Both Teams To Score and Over 3.5 Goals looks very tasty at 113/50 with Marathon Bet.
When these two sides meet there tends to be early drama. Both teams like to commit on the front foot and will be eager to make their mark on this tie as soon as possible. Backing a goal to be scored in the first 15 minutes comes out at 11/5 with Marathon Bet – fantastic value when considering their history and the lowered magnitude of this event.
