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Liverpool and Manchester City will renew their rivalry in the FA Community Shield at the King Power Stadium on Saturday evening (July 30).
The Reds narrowly missed out on the Premier League title last season but won the FA Cup, thus booking their place in the curtain-raiser of the 2022-23 English football calendar. City, on the other hand, come into the fixture as proud league title holders.
Liverpool and Manchester City are considered the two best teams in England right now. Filled to the brim with world-class players and led by two of the best coaches in the business, the teams not only play to win but also to impress.
On Saturday, the King Power is set to witness another exhibition of class, technical acumen, and winning mentality. Expect the pair to pull no punches and push hard until the final blast of the whistle.
As always, the unpredictable tussle between the two best English teams seems destined to go down to the wire.
Below are five nail-biting duels that could decide who gets to take home the first trophy of the 2022-23 season. Now, without further ado, let’s get to it.
#5 Kevin De Bruyne vs Fabinho
Kevin De Bruyne is one of the best footballers in the Premier League right now. He is an artist when it comes to distribution, a sharpshooter when it comes to goalscoring, and a metronome when he is needed to dictate the tempo.
His brace against Club America in July 20’s pre-season friendly showed the type of form he is in, and it would be up to Fabinho to spoil his party.
The Liverpool defensive midfielder is all about discipline. He cuts passing lanes, intercepts threatening passes, and repurposes the ball for his teammates.
If De Bruyne occupies the attacking midfield role that he often does, it would put him directly on Fabinho’s path.
The clash could have a massive bearing on how things turn out at the King Power Stadium.
#4 Jack Grealish vs Trent Alexander-Arnold
Jack Grealish, the most expensive player (€117.5 million) in Premier League history, got a lot of flak for his underwhelming performances for Manchester City last season.
The former Aston Villa man will look to redeem himself this term, and Saturday’s Community Shield gives him the perfect stage to document his intentions.
If Grealish occupies the left-wing position as he did in Manchester City’s pre-season friendlies, he will be up against Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Unlike traditional defender versus attacker clashes, this tussle could be a lot more dynamic. Thanks to Alexander-Arnold’s offensive prowess, Grealish will have to stay true to his defensive responsibilities.
Grealish, too, of course, can do plenty of damage up top, which will make the Liverpool man a little wary of pushing too far ahead.
An interesting battle awaits.
#3 Mohamed Salah vs Joao Cancelo
Having signed a new two-year contract extension (until June 2025), Mohamed Salah has committed his long-term future to the club.
The Egyptian is arguably Liverpool’s best player, meaning the Citizens could pay special attention to keeping him quiet on the right-wing. Manchester City’s versatile full-back Joao Cancelo is likely to be the man responsible for the mission.
Cancelo, who is comfortable playing on either flank, is not only a great defender but is also rather gifted when it comes to taking the fight to the opposition.
The Portugal international has the pace to keep up with Salah, the intelligence to read his passes, and the attacking ability to put him on the back foot from time to time.
Fireworks are expected to take place on Liverpool's right-wing on Saturday evening.
#2 Darwin Nunez vs Ruben Dias
New Liverpool signing Darwin Nunez is one of the most highly-rated young forwards around. The former Benfica man will have his first taste of playing against the best in the Premier League on Saturday and will hope to make a positive impression.
His four-goal haul in a 5-0 win over RB Leipzig (July 20) in a pre-season game impressed many. But the Uruguayan is unlikely to have that much freedom against 2020-21 'Premier League Player of the Year' Ruben Dias.
The Portuguese centre-back can hold his own against the most intimidating forwards, is superb in the air, knows how to play out from the back, and is an impeccable interceptor.
He might not find it easy against Nunez, but he is certainly qualified to keep the flamboyant sharpshooter under wraps in the FA Community Shield on Saturday.
#1 Erling Haaland vs Virgil van Dijk
Having scored an eye-popping 86 goals in 89 appearances for Borussia Dortmund, Erling Haaland joined Manchester City for a €60 million fee this summer.
The Norwegian, hailed as arguably the best young striker in the world right now, is expected to add a new dimension to Manchester City’s attack and make them even more direct.
Haaland, who scored on his friendly debut against Bayern Munich (1-0 win) on July 23, will have the perfect opportunity to prove his mettle in an important fixture this Saturday.
Virgil van Dijk, who has played quite a few high octane matches since joining Liverpool in January 2018, is set to be Haaland’s primary adversary.
The Dutchman can match Haaland on a physical level and has the technical ability to diffuse his explosiveness.
The outcome of the unpredictable battle could very well decide which team will have the last laugh at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
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