The highlight of the 2022/23 Community Shield and the season’s curtain raiser, besides the tactical battle between Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, was the Fate of the Forwards, Darwin Nunez and Erling Haaland.
It did live up to the hype, and while Klopp and Darwin drew the first blood, it only sets the tone for what will be a season long war.
Liverpool punctured the egos of the PL champions, handing Manchester City a 3-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium – their biggest win against the Cityzens since 2019.
Haaland was lively in the first half, but a miscued volley and a heavy touches in the final third let the player down.
But against the run of play, Trent Alexander-Arnold (21′) would go in to put the reds ahead.
After the restart, the game dragged on until a couple of changes made by Guardiola, Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez came on in the 58th minute in a double substitution.
The subs impacted the game well, a Foden shot was fumbled by Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian and Alvarez (70′) poked it home as the defense failed to properly clear their lines.
The Alvarez goal was awarded after a VAR review and once again the technology was called upon around the 80th minute after Ruben Diaz was adjudged to have handled the ball from a Darwin header.
Mohamed Salah stepped up and deliver a well executed penalty in the 83rd minute to restore Liverpool’s lead and Darwin (90+1′) would add a third connecting Andy Robertson’s knock down, with a low header from a acute angle.
Haaland then got a chance to reduce the deficit but, he blasted it high from close range late in stoppage time.
The Shield is now headed to Anfield for the first time since Jurgen Klopp’s reign at the club, as he adds it to his collection of the Champions League, PL title and both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
