"They're not used to Erling's natural runs yet, like we're not used to Darwin's. They'll need some time for Erling, but that doesn't mean he can't score."
Jurgen Klopp's assessment of Erling Haaland and Manchester City on Friday could easily have gone against the Liverpool manager.
After all, add in a great goalscorer to an already great team and surely the result can only be more greatness? But in Saturday's Community Shield game – taking place at Leicester City's King Power Stadium – Klopp's words rang true, and instead it was City's Julian Alvarez and Liverpool's Darwin Nunez who each made their mark.
Liverpool ran out the victors in this latest instalment of English football's new number one rivalry, as City lost the season's curtain-raiser for a second successive year. It was new signing Nunez – named as a substitute when Haaland had been given the nod from the off for the Reds' opponents – who added gloss in a 3-1 victory that makes it advantage Klopp in the rivalry stakes for the coming season.
It was easy to forget, due to the vociferous atmosphere emanating from both ends, that this match amounts to what is essentially an exhibition, even if Pep Guardiola has often cited the Community Shield as a major trophy – one that Klopp had not previously won.
The intensity in the stands was matched by the players, especially in one spell midway through the first half when the tenacious Bernardo Silva sparked a flurry of robust tackles in midfield.
Liverpool dominated the opening stages, enjoying 57 per cent possession in the first 15 minutes and going close through Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson.
It has been an off-season of change for City. Kalvin Phillips and Alvarez have joined Haaland through the door, but Gabriel Jesus, Raheem Sterling and Oleksandr Zinchenko have left, and a lack of fluidity to the Premier League champions' play was noticeable as they laboured to get out of first gear.
There was a moment prior to Trent Alexander-Arnold's 21st-minute opener, when Kevin De Bruyne spun clear of his marker and Haaland looked all set to burst through and square up Liverpool's stand-in goalkeeper Adrian, yet the Belgian's pass was just too close to Virgil van Dijk.
That summed up a hugely frustrating first half for City's new number nine, who only had three touches prior to the half-hour mark, all of which came in his own half.
Alexander-Arnold's strike, his 10th Reds goal from outside the area, led to red smoke bombs being thrown onto the pitch from a jubilant Liverpool end, and City at that stage looked punch-drunk.
Then, the chances came. First, Haaland drilled at Adrian while off-balance, before he just failed to get proper purchase on a cross from the left – Riyad Mahrez heading into Adrian's arms on the rebound.
In normal pre-season circumstances, Guardiola might well have taken Haaland off when he made his first changes just before the hour, but it was instead Mahrez and Jack Grealish who made way for Alvarez and Phil Foden. At the same time, Klopp introduced Nunez for his domestic bow.
Nunez's impact was near-instant, getting in behind City's line and drawing a desperate lunge from Ederson in the area, but the linesman flagged for offside rather than a Liverpool penalty. Soon after, City's goalkeeper made a brave stop to deny the former Benfica forward.
Where one substitute went close, another then hit the net. In an interview in the matchday programme, Alvarez insisted his focus was not on matching Haaland, but instead on improving his own game. It was the Argentine forward who bundled in City's equaliser after Phil Foden forced Adrian into a save, with VAR overturning an incorrect offside call.
If City and Haaland might need time to gel fully, then the opposite should be true for Alvarez, who was a livewire from the moment he came on, becoming the third Argentinian to score in the Community Shield, after former City strikers Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez.
Though where VAR had come to City's aid for Alvarez's goal, it helped Liverpool 10 minutes later, when a Nunez header struck the arm of Ruben Dias, which referee Craig Pawson deemed to have been in an unnatural position upon checking the screen.
For all the talk of new striker signings at both club, it was perhaps fitting that a familiar face in Salah stepped up for the penalty to remind everyone involved of his quality with a firm finish into the bottom-right corner.
Arguably the most important business Liverpool could have done in the close season was their July 1 move to tie Salah down to a new contract, and the 30-year-old has been directly involved in 13 goals for Liverpool against City, his most against a single side for the Reds.
Haaland had the ball in the net at the other end early in seven minutes of stoppage time, but it did not count – Foden had failed to keep it in. Moments later, Nunez stooped low to head in Robertson's cross. He is the fourth player to have scored on his competitive Liverpool debut under Klopp, after Salah, Van Dijk and Salah.
If there was any further evidence needed that this day would not be Haaland's, the 22-year-old hit the crossbar with the goal gaping with very nearly the last kick of the match to send Liverpool's fans into further delirium. It was the best chance of the match from open play, with an xG (expected goals) rating of 0.54. He was at least able to laugh it off as a bad day at the office, but goalscorers as prolific as him do not take misses like that well.
The former Borussia Dortmund player had just 16 touches over the 90 minutes.
Haaland's day will come, perhaps even against West Ham in City's Premier League opener, but on Saturday's evidence, Liverpool have adapted to their new striker swifter than their great rivals have theirs.
Gvardiol unfazed by Alvarez taking penalty as defender gives up hat-trick chance
Josko Gvardiol had no problem with Julian Alvarez taking a late penalty in Manchester City's 4-0 rout of Fulham, as he passed up the chance to score a memorable Premier League hat-trick.
Gvardiol scored in both halves as City crushed Marco Silva's men at Craven Cottage on Saturday, going top of the table ahead of Arsenal's trip to Manchester United on Sunday.
The defender slotted his finish into the bottom-left corner after exchanging passes with Kevin De Bruyne for his first, then stretched to prod Bernardo Silva's cross under Bernd Leno for his brace.
It looked like he might get the chance to make it a treble when Alvarez won a stoppage-time penalty, and the Croatian was deep in conversation with his team-mates around the spot before the Argentine dispatched the kick.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Gvardiol revealed he did put his name forward but had no qualms with regular taker Alvarez stepping up.
"Another two goals for me and of course another clean sheet, so I'm really happy," he said.
"We discussed me taking the penalty, and of course I said I would have liked to take it, but we know who the taker is, and he takes them."
After not scoring in any of his first 32 appearances for City across all competitions, Gvardiol has now netted five goals in his last seven games for the club.
None of his five goals have been scored with his favoured left foot, with four coming from his right and one via his head.
Asked what he put his hot streak down to, he added: "Nothing different, I think that is just normal in sports.
"Currently I am in good form and the end of the season is coming, we have three more finals and we've got to be ready. We just need to be focused on ourselves and keep going in that way.
Fulham only managed one shot in a flat performance, recording six touches in their opponents' area to City's 38.
Their hopes of a top-half finish are now officially over, but Silva is proud of their efforts this term, saying: "It was a successful season with the context of what happened in the summer.
"We had to rebuild and we did it really well. We did not have the power of the other teams but it was a success. Now is the moment to sit with the board and discuss what the possibilities are.
"If we want to take a step forward, we need to be clear and find out what the steps are in the market and go from there."
PFJL and Malta team up on Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme
The Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL) has collaborated with Malta to introduce the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme, a junior-level training initiative offering opportunities for young talents to further ignite passion for the sport and channel true Jamaican energy.
Targeting youths under seventeen years of age, this programme aims to provide a pathway for young players to progress into local, international or regional clubs and academies. The announcement was made on Wednesday, May 8, during the official media launch at the JFF Captain Horace Burrell Center of Excellence at The University of the West Indies.
In his remarks, CEO of the PFJL, Owen Hill, expressed, “We are excited about the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme prospects and look forward to developing our local talent and, by extension, allowing the players to be globally adaptable. To our partner Malta, we salute you for stepping up to the plate, believing in us and most importantly, believing in our youth. The team at Professional Football Jamaica Limited promises you that we will make this programme worth your while. On behalf of the PFJL board of directors and management, I thank you for being here and for your continued support as we continue to raise the bar.”
Through this programme, clubs will have the opportunity to participate using their best junior players between the ages of 15 to 17 and will involve four Premier League Clubs: Arnett Gardens, Waterhouse, Portmore United, and Harbour View.
PFJL, in collaboration with these clubs, will administer three football festivals where teams will compete in an equitable format to determine the champions on the day. The games will follow traditional football competition rules and will be hosted over three consecutive months, starting on May 25 and ending on July 27, where the teams will compete against each other.
The Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme aims to take a multifaceted approach by not only developing the technical skills and abilities of Jamaica’s youth footballers but also strengthen the local capacity for elite youth coaches through mandatory coaching education and football education. Coaches are required to be enrolled in a B Licensed Programme or higher to ensure that players are trained effectively. Moreover, individual clubs and player development plans will be implemented with structured coaching education.
"We are happy to partner with Professional Football Jamaica Limited for the launch of the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme, which is a part of our pilot programme, Malta Sparks. Through this campaign, we aim to bring local caregivers together, energise them, celebrate with them, strengthen their bonds within the community, and foster a profound sense of belonging. In collaboration with PFJL, we have a lineup of impactful workshops led by experts to equip players and their parents/guardians with the essential tools to improve their personal and social development skills. We look forward to the success stories and opportunities that will unfold for the talented young footballers participating in the Elite Under-17 Development Football Programme,” expressed Malta Brand Manager, Jodi-Ann Campbell.
Fulham 0-4 Manchester City: Gvardiol double helps to send champions top
Manchester City moved ahead of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table with a dominant 4-0 win over Fulham, with Josko Gvardiol scoring twice at Craven Cottage.
Pep Guardiola's champions knew a victory in Saturday's early kick-off would pile the pressure on Arsenal ahead of their trip to Manchester United on Sunday, and they made no mistake.
Gvardiol scored in both halves to make it five goals in his last seven games across all competitions, while Player of the Season candidate Phil Foden netted his 25th of the campaign as City ate into Arsenal's superior goal difference.
Julian Alvarez then added a late fourth from the penalty spot after Issa Diop received his second yellow card, and City know two further victories over Tottenham and West Ham next week will secure the title.
Fulham, meanwhile, stay 13th with 44 points, their winless run stretching to four matches.
The hosts’ energetic start quickly fell flat when City struck from their first real attack 13 minutes in, Gvardiol driving inside from the left to exchange passes with Kevin De Bruyne before skipping past Issa Diop and stroking his finish into the bottom-left corner.
Marco Silva cut an animated figure as City smothered their hosts from then on, with Foden testing Bernd Leno from range.
The champions should have had a second on the stroke of half-time as De Bruyne's wonderful cross found Manuel Akanji totally unmarked at the far post. However, rather using his head, the centre-back sent an awkward volley spinning over the crossbar.
Fulham very briefly improved after introducing Adama Traore at the break, but they were hit with a sucker punch just before the hour as Joao Palhinha's tackle on Bernardo Silva sent the ball straight to Foden, who drilled home on his weaker right foot.
Erling Haaland completely miscued his shot when played through by De Bruyne shortly afterwards, but City had their third with 19 minutes to play.
Silva curled a cross to the far post, where Gvardiol stretched to prod his shot under Leno, who then made a strong save to keep out Jeremy Doku's long-range strike.
However, Fulham did concede a fourth deep into stoppage time, with Diop's reckless lunge on Alvarez earning him his second caution and allowing the Argentine to tuck home from 12 yards.
De Bruyne climbs assist charts
Much of Gvardiol's opener was his own work, the defender showing great composure to beat Leno after motoring infield from the touchline, but he was helped on his way by a fine one-touch pass from De Bruyne – the 19th of a flowing move.
That was the Belgian's 111th assist in the Premier League, taking him level with Cesc Fabregas in second place in the all-time rankings. Only United great Ryan Giggs, with 162, has more in the competition's history.
De Bruyne has also contributed to at least one goal in each of his last five away games in the competition, netting three and teeing up five in that time.
If he can maintain his fine form over the next eight days, City's chances of winning an unprecedented fourth straight title will be greatly enhanced.
Toothless Fulham seeing season fizzle out
Fulham boss Silva was not a happy man at half-time, hooking both Willian and Bobby De Cordova-Reid after seeing his side fail to record a shot of any description in the opening period.
Though the introduction of Traore added more impetus to their flat frontline, they never truly looked like threatening City as they tallied a measly 0.12 expected goals (xG) throughout the contest.
While Silva denied suggestions his team were "on the beach" on Friday, they have certainly tailed off in recent weeks, their hopes of a top-half finish evaporating due to a run of one win in eight games (three draws, four defeats).
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