In Focus: New faces provide intrigue as Liverpool and City meet

Just 63 days after Liverpool lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid, the new season begins with the Community Shield.

The Reds take on Premier League champions Manchester City, granting an early chance for the two giants to weigh each other up.

Taking place at the King Power Stadium with Wembley preparing to host tomorrow’s Women’s Euro 2022 final, we look at some of the key talking points ahead of the game.

Undercooked

Jurgen Klopp is no stranger to a moan about fixture congestion — and he has started early this time around.

The German coach does have a point, with the Reds’ pre-season shorter than other sides given their Champions League exploits.

After a 1-0 defeat to FC Salzburg on Wednesday, he warned that they would not be able to match City’s levels, and he is keen for the date of the traditional showpiece to change.

He said: “I like the competition but I think it would be possible to find another date. We had a longer season than other teams and now we have a shorter pre-season.

“It makes not too much sense. Maybe somebody can think about this. But we have to find a way and that’s what we are working on.”

New-look sides

It is something of a new era for both sides, despite Pep Guardiola and Klopp being now synonymous with their respective clubs.

City have sold Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko while Sadio Mane is the big departure from Liverpool, who have also lost Divock Origi.

And there are exciting new faces in the blue and red corners this weekend.

All eyes will be on Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez, but do not forget Kalvin Phillips and Julian Alvarez for City and Fabio Carvalho for Liverpool.

Battle of the No9s

How Haaland, 22, and Nunez, 23, get on in the Premier League will be one of the stories of the season.

And this evening’s clash sees them face off on the pitch for the first time at their new clubs.

After missing a gilt-edge chance in the friendly against Manchester United, Nunez netted four times in a half against RB Leipzig.

Haaland, meanwhile, found the back of the net on his unofficial City bow in the 1-0 win over Bayern Munich.

Given the Norwegian sensation has 135 goals in 183 games and Nunez 68 in 139, including 34 in 41 games last term, they could breathe new life into the perennial rivals.

Do not tell Klopp they are similar signings though. He said: “One is left-footed, the other is right-footed. One is from Norway, the other one is from Uruguay. They are big differences.”

Young guns

It is also the first opportunity for fans to see Alvarez, 22, in action on English soil, and Carvalho, 19, in the red of Liverpool.

Exciting Argentine forward Alvarez has looked sharp in pre-season, while ex-Fulham star Carvalho is a high-class talent.

On Alvarez, Guardiola said: “He can keep the ball and you can link with him without a problem.

“We have the feeling we signed a top-class young player for the next years to come, and we are delighted.

“The job that Marcelo Gallardo did at River Plate, we have the benefit, and hopefully he can grow up in an important league like the Premier League.”

Does it mean anything?

A competitive curtain-raiser or a glorified friendly? There are certainly differing opinions on the game.

Manchester City lost to Leicester last year, yet went on to win the title for a fourth time in five seasons.

On the other hand, Arsenal have won on their last four appearances in the annual game, yet have failed to kick on in any of those seasons.

Klopp has spoken about wanting to win purely because it is the only domestic trophy that eludes him, but the reality is it will be forgotten about in a week’s time.