Liverpool eager for victory in Community Shield to commence its season successfully
After a summer of significant changes, Liverpool will face FA Cup winners Crystal Palace in the traditional curtain-raiser of English football at Wembley Stadium.
Key Players and Injuries
Crystal Palace's key player to watch is Eberechi Eze, who has been involved in 12 goals in his last 13 games for the club across all competitions. Unfortunately for Palace, Eddie Nketiah is expected to be out for around eight weeks due to an injury.
On the Liverpool side, Mohamed Salah, the Premier League's Golden Boot winner last term with 29 goals, will be a formidable force. However, Salah has not registered a single goal involvement in seven matches at Wembley since October 2017.
Expected Lineups
Liverpool's expected starting lineup for the match is a 4-2-3-1 formation. Alisson is likely to start in goal, with Jeremie Frimpong at right-back, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté in central defence, and Milos Kerkez at left-back. Mac Allister or Jones and Gravenberch will feature as holding midfielders, while Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz (making his competitive debut), Cody Gakpo, and Hugo Ekitiké will form a versatile, attacking front four.
The new signings, including Wirtz, Ekitiké, Frimpong, Kerkez, and potentially Alexander Isak, will make their presence felt in Liverpool's refreshed defence and attacking lineup.
Recent Form and History
Liverpool have never tasted defeat twice at Wembley in the same calendar year. However, they lost 2-1 to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final. Palace, on the other hand, have won four of their six matches at the new Wembley when used as a neutral venue.
Interestingly, the FA Cup winners have beaten the Premier League winners in seven of the last nine Community Shields which did not feature a double-winning team from the previous season.
Managers' Views
Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, believes victory in Sunday's Community Shield could set Liverpool up for another successful season. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace's boss, Oliver Glasner, has expressed frustration with their lack of transfer activity and the need to add players to be competitive.
Opta's Win Probability
According to Opta, Liverpool have a 54.9% chance of winning, while Crystal Palace's chances stand at 22.5%.
This promises to be an exciting encounter, with both teams eager to start the new season on a high note. Stay tuned for the live updates!
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Liverpool's Premier League Golden Boot winner Mohamed Salah and new signing Florian Wirtz, making his competitive debut, are expected to lead the attacking front in the upcoming European-leagues encounter against Crystal Palace.
Despite Liverpool's strong historic performance at Wembley, accounting for never losing twice in the same calendar year, the club faces the challenge of overcoming the FA Cup winners in the Community Shield, a match that has historically seen the FA Cup winners emerging victorious in seven out of nine instances when not featuring a double-winning team from the previous season. The match promises to be a captivating display of sports-analysis.
