Dion Dublin
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

City are a little bit sloppy at the moment.

Liverpool are trying to find that space in behind Joao Cancelo.

City try to settle their way into the game with a bit of keep-ball at the back. The Liverpool press is fully functioning, though. Not a moment to breathe.

Community Shields are usually a bit sedate.

Not a bit of it here. It's crackling.

Mohamed Salah is causing all sorts of bother for Joao Cancelo.

It needs Nathan Ake to come over and help out to halt the forward.

Matt Upson
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Liverpool have started well; they've been on the front foot.

Interesting kick off; it went back to Matip; everyone rushed forward and he hit a ball long to put Manchester City right under pressure.

Kevin de Bruyne tries to find Erling Haaland in the box from a free-kick, but the cross flashes past him and out of play.

Mohamed Salah looks every bit a man who has signed a new contract and is raring to go in red.

He cuts in from the left and goes past a non-existent challenge from Joao Cancelo. The Egyptian's shot is into the sidenetting, though.

Liverpool have started brightly.

Mohamed Salah drives forward down the left before Jordan Henderson's cross sneaks through to Luis Diaz for a blocked shot.

It is a decent atmosphere here. Games between these two are always an event.

Image source, Getty Images

The first shot is Liverpool's as Mohamed Salah's cross is belted towards goal by Thiago but blocked by a City defender.

It's impressive that Erling Haaland has managed to fit three haircuts on his head.

How will Liverpool cope without Sadio? What will Erling bring to City? Are these two nailed on to be England's top duo again?

Let's see what answers this evening provides...

Former Liverpool striker Ian Rush is the guest of honour. He shakes hands with a beaming Erling Haaland. Goalscoring-game recognises goal-scoring game.

Here come the teams.

Time to get this show on the road. Again. Football eh, it never stops.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City will travel to the King Power Stadium on Saturday for just the second Community Shield meeting between City and Liverpool.

It's the first time since 2012 that the competition has been held outside of Wembley, when City beat Chelsea 3-2 at Villa Park and claimed the club's first shield since 1972.

The Citizens have triumphed in three of their last five Community Shield appearances, despite losing 1-0 against Leicester City last season.

If Liverpool win, City will continue a pattern from recent years of teams losing consecutive Community Shield games. Chelsea lost in 2017 and 2018, and the Reds followed suit in 2019 and 2020.

Shaun Forster: Couldn’t care less about the Community Shield but Liverpool v Man City is just an unmissable game. Absolute privilege to see these two teams in my lifetime. And now Haaland too? Wow.

Image source, Getty Images

Jurgen Klopp's Reds will travel to the King Power Stadium on Saturday for just the second Community Shield meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool.

It's the first time since 2012 that the competition has been held outside of Wembley, when City beat Chelsea 3-2 at Villa Park.

And under Klopp the Reds have lost more games at the King Power Stadium than they have at any other away venue in all competitions.

Liverpool have also lost four of their last six Community Shield appearances, including via a penalty shoot out to City in 2019.

However, six of the last seven competition finals have been won by the FA Cup holders. The only exception being Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Chelsea in 2018.

Including occasions when the Community Shield was shared, only Manchester United (21) and Arsenal (16) have won the trophy more often than Liverpool (15).

Image source, Getty Images

Aymeric Laporte will miss today's game and the start of Manchester City's Premier League title defence after the Spain defender had surgery on a knee injury.

City manager Pep Guardiola revealed on Friday that Laporte needed the operation after struggling with the injury in the closing stages of last season.

The 28-year-old centre-back played through the pain barrier to help City win their fourth Premier League title in five seasons after a dramatic final-day victory against Aston Villa.

"Laporte is injured," said Guardiola. "He had knee surgery after last season, playing the last two or three games with an important injury. He made an incredible effort to do that but he could not continue.

"So far he is doing really well but you have to be careful because it is a knee. He needs time. I think August he will be out, but maybe in September he will start to be with us."

Mike Minay
BBC Radio Manchester

When you have a well-oiled machine like Manchester City, taking a few important nuts and bolts out could cause a jarring in the system.

Pep Guardiola eluded to it with the exits of Gabriel Jesus, Fernandinho, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Raheem Sterling.

"If you analyse what happened in the last years without these important players it would be difficult to imagine," he began.

However, upgrade those parts with smooth operators - Stefan Ortega, Kalvin Phillips, Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez - and then maybe the machine will get quicker, faster... better.

"In my feeling they will not take time to settle," said Guardiola. "The way they settle, they listen, they behave, in the few games they play, I think they are going to start quick."

Whether that machine will be fully functioning for Saturday's Community Shield with Liverpool, we will have to wait and see. Mind you, both managers, Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, seem to be in agreement this fixture has come around too fast.

"We are going to try to do a good game," added Guardiola. "Two and a half weeks of pre-season is too short but I saw many good things in this period."

Robbie Fowler has said that while Sadio Mane will be a big loss, Darwin Nunez provides something Liverpool have been missing in recent years.

Speaking to James Mountford on BBC Radio Merseyside, the former Reds striker said: "I was disappointed with Mane leaving, but I don’t think they could have kept him and Mohamed Salah with the wage demands.

"I’m very buoyed by the fact they have gone and got Darwin Nunez. I think he’s a good player and I think he will score goals. The fact he has been in Champions League games and scored against top teams, he will understand what the demand of the Premier League is all about.

"We have been missing this type of player for a good few years now. As much as Firmino has played that role, and Mane towards the end of last season, I don’t think we have had the architectural type of number nine that I wanted to see: someone who wants to play on the defenders' shoulders, someone who wants to get over the back line. And I think we’ve got that in Nunez.

"It’s a gamble - we all know it’s a gamble - but it’s a gamble that Jurgen Klopp and his staff are more than prepared to take."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds