Eighteen clubs, not named Manchester City or Liverpool, will contest the 2022-23 Premier League season, and all of them will compete to become something other than champions next May. No matter what the aspirations of these other sides are, they are all way behind the northwest England duopoly that will battle each other in the Community Shield.
This curtain-raising match will give us a taste of just how far ahead of the rest of the pack these two sides are. We’ll also see, on Saturday, how much Erling Haaland, being coached by Pep Guardiola, is going to be transcendent.
Hung out with both mascots, saw both title trophies this evening. #Bundesliga #PremierLeague #ManCity #FCBayern pic.twitter.com/Y0F5x42gOl
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) July 24, 2022
FA Community Shield FYIs
When is it? Saturday, 30th July, 5 PM UK Time.
Where is it? King Power Stadium, Leicester
What is the Team News? Man City Liverpool
How about the starting XI predictions? Man City Liverpool
Who’s playing? Liverpool (FA Cup holders) Manchester City (Premier League holders)
What are the odds? Liverpool (+175) Man City (+135) Draw (+245)
Interview Audio? Yes, Pep Guardiola press conference Erling Haaland in the mixed zone
The Erling Haaland era at #ManchesterCity has begun. Norwegian superstar in the making makes his debut, scores his first goal.
City 1, Bayern Munich 0 in the 13′.
Weather delay again pic.twitter.com/6ZFcbWY7PA— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) July 23, 2022
Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias are still working their way back from injury, so Kalvin Phillips has shifted to at center back at times this preseason.
Manchester City Starting XI Prediction vs Liverpool (Community Shield)
Ederson; Cancelo, Phillips, Rodri, Ake; Gundogan, De Bruyne; Foden, Grealish, Mahrez, Haaland
“I don’t think the heavy stuff is gonna come down for quite some time, I’d keep playing”
– Carl Spackler, “Caddyshack”#BayernMunich #ManchesterCity
At Lambeau Field pic.twitter.com/vrXo3OhsOD— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) July 23, 2022
Fearless Prediction: Manchester City 1, Liverpool 1 (City wins on penalties)
Fire up another rendition of Oasis “Wonderwall”
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him and the website on Twitter and Instagram.