COMMUNITY SHIELD PLAYER RATINGS: Darwin Nunez impresses on debut alongside usual Liverpool suspects Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah, while Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez struggle for Man City
- Liverpool produced an impressive performance after beating Manchester City 3-1
- Jurgen Klopp has already won every honor available to him in English football
- Erling Haaland impressed with his movement but missed two big chances
By Joe Bernstein for MailOnline
Posted: 21:21, July 30, 2022 | Updated: 02:52, 31 July 2022
Liverpool produced a promising performance for neutrals on Saturday after beating title favorites Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield.
They looked sharper than their opponents as goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunes put them ahead before Julián Alvarez’s strike. The trophy means Jurgen Klopp has now won every honor available to him in English football.
Sportsmail took a closer look at how each player made it to English football’s traditional curtain raiser.
Darwin Nunes was impressive off the bench and scored a late goal
Liverpool
Hadrian
He didn’t have much to do as City lacked sharpness in front of goal, he avoided creating a roar and couldn’t do much for City’s goal. 6
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Took the opening goal well and generally stretched a side that struggled to shut down Liverpool’s full-backs. 8
Joel Matip
Overall a solid performance, but looked confused at times by De Bruyne and Haaland. 7
Virgil van Dyck
Enjoyed a fairly comfortable afternoon but was rarely tested by City’s forwards. 6.5
Andrew Robertson
Something of an anonymous match for the Scot, but he made a few mistakes. 6.5
Jordan Henderson
Played well, showing none of the flair that crept into his game last season. 7.5
Jordan Henderson was solid if unspectacular as his side beat Manchester City 3-1
Fabinho
Kept De Bruyne quiet throughout and looked confident despite the quality of the opposition. 7
Thiago
He made it difficult for a defense that still looked like he would settle for his trademark pinpoint passing. 7
Mo Salah
Threatened throughout the game with his famous quick feet and scored an important penalty. 8
Mo Salah scored from the penalty spot and looked dangerous throughout the game
Roberto Firmino
He didn’t do much wrong, but was overshadowed by his substitution in the second half. 6.5
Darwin Nunes
He proved to be an excellent focal point after coming off the bench. He won Liverpool a penalty and scored a late goal. 8.5
Luis Diaz
Didn’t set the world on fire but did well to keep City’s defense under pressure. 7
Manchester City
Ederson
He couldn’t do much for the goals and prove a sure presence in an otherwise underprepared defence. 6.5
Ederson played well enough but will be disappointed with the three goals conceded
Kyle Walker
Showed his experience with a solid performance but could have done more to contain Liverpool. 7
Ruben Diaz
Played well but didn’t look too confident in partnership with Nathan Ake. 6
Nathan Ake
Made no glaring mistakes but perhaps lacked a bit of sharpness against Liverpool’s leading forwards. 6
Nathan Ake looked a little rusty but didn’t make any obvious mistakes in the game
Joao Cancelo
Scored a vaguely disappointing 90 minutes after being such a key player at the Etihad last season. 5.5
Kevin De Bruyne
Had a few chances and looked most likely to break Liverpool apart, but was well below his best. 7
Ilkay Gundogan
He hasn’t been able to make much of an impact, but will benefit from playing time. 6
Rhodri
Struggled to dictate things in midfield, but did not shy away. 6
Bernardo Silva
Looked brilliant at times but the recent lack of playing time was showing. 7
Riyad Mahrez
Moved well at times but also looked sloppy and struggled to make an impact. 5.5
Julian Alvarez
Got City back into the game with a goal off the bench and looked lively throughout the forty minutes he played. 7
Erling Haaland
Would have been disappointed to miss two clean sheets but impressed with his power and movement. 6.5
Jack Grealish
He lacked the creative spark he is known for and was criticized by Roy Keane for not taking enough risks. 5.5
Jack Grealish played cautiously and failed to make much of an impact on the play
Phil Foden
Brought energy to City as a substitute and played in their best period of the game, but failed to produce any real quality. 7
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