NUNEZ OFF TO A FLYER AS KLOPP CASHES IN
Liverpool win battle of the newbie strikers – and look ready to seize City’s crown
ON THIS pulsating evidence, we’re set for another epic title race — and one that could have a different outcome next May.
Manchester City, champions in four of the last five years, weren’t short of class at the King Power but even their magicians were steamrollered in no uncertain terms by Jurgen Klopp’s trophy machines.
This was the third piece of silverware lifted by Liverpool in 2022 and completed their manager’s collection of domestic prizes.
Yes, the Community Shield is only a seasonal curtain-raiser but the intensity and quality on show suggests the Merseysiders are going to hit the ground running, starting at Fulham next weekend.
After all the hype surrounding the two new glamour strikers, the competition between them wasn’t even close.
City golden boy Erling Haaland was given a start by Pep Guardiola and tested Virgil van Dijk in the first half before fading. By the end, he looked bewildered and somehow hit the crossbar from five yards when he should have scored easily.
In contrast, £85million Darwin Nunez was initially put on the bench by Klopp but ended up the hero. He terrorised City with his pace when he arrived after 58 minutes. He won one penalty, maybe deserved another, and was brilliantly foiled by Ederson before sealing Liverpool’s win with a stooping header.
As the ‘Kop End’ of Leicester’s stadium was engulfed in red smoke in full-time celebration, team-mate Andy Robertson quipped: ‘Not bad considering what people have been saying about him,’ — a reference to those who don’t see Nunez as a suitable replacement for Sadio Mane.
City won’t panic but the other 18 Premier League clubs should.
These two teams finished 18 points ahead of the rest last season and the gap doesn’t look like closing any time soon.
Liverpool were sharper in the first half, befitting the fact they’ve played four pre-season games compared to City’s two.
The only goal in the opening 45 minutes was a beauty. Thiago and Luis Diaz fed Mo Salah, whose tap to Trent Alexander-Arnold on the edge of the box invited the defender to hit a rising first-time shot over Nathan Ake, Ederson and into the corner.
At the other end, Haaland had a couple of sniffs but was denied by a block from Van Dijk and a parry from Adrian, playing his first game in Liverpool’s goal for nine months.
City were better after the interval but panicked once Nunez came on for Roberto Firmino. Ederson stopped his first one-on-one by clattering into Nunez, and made a great save from his second.
Phil Foden was more effective than the player he replaced, Jack Grealish. And it was his quick thinking that led to a debut equalising goal for City’s other strike newbie, Julian Alvarez, after 70 minutes.
Adrian parried Foden’s volley but as he tried to get both hands on the loose ball, Foden nipped in to tee up Alvarez for a Sergio Aguero-type finish.
At first the goal wasn’t given for offside but a lengthy VAR check decided everyone was legal when Kevin De Bruyne had initially crossed for Foden.
Technology returned, this time to help Liverpool, 13 minutes later. City skipper Ruben Dias had his arm outstretched when Nunez’s header struck it. Referee Craig Pawson ruled accidental, but was persuaded to go over to the monitor and changed his mind.
Salah, who looked far sharper throughout than he did at the end of last season, tucked away the penalty with nonchalant ease.
With Liverpool 2-1 ahead, the injury-time finale was all about the centre-forwards. Nunez, who had received a bang on the ankle from Ake, showed he is made of tough stuff by continuing to make his runs, and got his reward when Robertson’s header across goal fell on his own forehead.
The game was up but Haaland’s woe wasn’t. Foden set the Norwegian up for a simple consolation and he fluffed his lines.
Guardiola said he wasn’t bothered. ‘Next time he will put it in the net so what is the problem?’ shrugged the
City boss. ‘I am not concerned, he will score. He fought a lot today and made good movements. It is good form to see the reality of English football. He is mentally strong.’
Klopp admitted scoring in a major game so quickly in his Liverpool career will help Nunez.
‘You know that strikers are special species. Everyone needs positives and I think you could tell by Darwin’s face when he scored, how happy he was. I think he would have been fine without scoring because he’d already won us a penalty but it was the icing on the cake.
‘It is a joke how quickly everyone is judged in this world but that is how it is.’ Worryingly for the competition, Klopp thinks there is more to come from his players. ‘Neither team were 100 per cent in terms of their usual physical fitness but we were closer to full fitness than at this stage in previous years. I think the game was a good watch. Darwin made an impact and there are things we can improve. I am excited about it.’
With all the glamour arrivals taking centre stage, there was a timely reminder from Salah that he remains a hot property himself.
Stricken at the end of last season in the Champions League final, the Egyptian king looked fresh and energetic having signed a new longterm contract.
He tormented City’s left-back Joao Cancelo at times, twisting him inside-out in one attack before striking the side-netting.
Guardiola left £45million England midfielder Kalvin Phillips on the bench, suggesting he has some way to go if he wants to take Rodri’s starting place.
The wily Klopp was clever to start Firmino up front, with the Brazilian having Juventus among his suitors if he feels he won’t play enough football this season.
The Community Shield would normally have been played at Wembley but was moved because the national stadium is pre-booked for this afternoon’s women’s Euro 2022 final.
The Lionesses are rightly all the rage at the moment but City and Liverpool showed yesterday that men’s football can be pretty good too!