Liverpool takes on Manchester City on Saturday in what has now become the Premier League’s headliner rivalry. These two teams are on a plane that is high above everybody else right now. This weekend’s competition, the FA Community Shield, is just the opening act for a main event that will soon commence.
While it is a trophy game, this clash is still a preseason friendly of sorts. Over the next nine months, in the Premier League campaign ahead, we’ll see the true clash of the titans between City and Liverpool. So with that in mind, let’s preview.
Fun and productive business trip, indeed. #BAYERNMUENCHEN #ManCity #GreenBayPackers pic.twitter.com/EzKIRRv4rG
— 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
Man of the Match Erling Haaland, and former PFA Player of the Year Kevin De Bruyne, after #ManchesterCity beat #BayernMunich 1-0 pic.twitter.com/XuwuHVvSpz
— Paul M. Banks (@PaulMBanks) July 24, 2022
Man City Team News
Following his side’s 1-0 win over Bayern Munich, at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin (The Sports Bank was there in the press box), City manager Pep Guardiola said his team had a great preseason tour, as they met their main goals- no one got hurt. Did everyone stay healthy this week in training?
Guardiola will address the media tomorrow to preview the match and possibly share the latest team news, if there really is any.
Otherwise the big news here are debuts, as this should be the first time that we see Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and Stefan Ortega Moreno play for City in a game that counts. If you are among those that do think the FA Community Shield counts. Either way, Haaland, working under Guardiola on a team this loaded, is going to be epic.
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.