Liverpool begin their 2019-20 season with a match against 2018-19 Premier League Champions Manchester City in the Community Shield this Sunday.
The two teams went neck and neck in the Premier League last season, with the Merseyside club losing out on the title by a single point.
Both teams come into the Community Shield with several key players missing due to injuries while a few have only recently returned to training after exploits with their national side at the African Cup of Nations and Copa America.
Liverpool’s famed front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino will most likely miss the curtain opener against Manchester City, while goalkeeper Alisson will also not feature for them either.
Let’s take a look at 3 Liverpool players who will be key against Manchester City on Sunday
Divock Origi
Belgian striker Divock Origi is not the preferred choice up top, despite scoring in the Champions League final.
The club offered the 24-year-old a new deal over the summer, and the Belgian will have to repay the trust reposed in him by Klopp, and score goals in the opening few fixtures when Firmino, Mane and Salah won’t be available for Liverpool.
Origi scored just 8 goals in 22 appearances last season, and he will have to improve those numbers this year as the Reds haven’t signed a striker and didn’t extend Daniel Sturridge’s contract.
Andy Robertson
At times last season, full-back Andy Robertson on the left, and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the right, played like wingers, attacking at will and putting in menacing crosses.
Against Manchester City in the Community Shield, manager Jurgen Klopp will want both his full-backs to play high up the pitch and provide width to a side which won’t have wide players in Salah and Mane.
In Liverpool’s last two pre-season games against Sporting Lisbon and Napoli, Georginio Wijnaldum played wide on the left, who is not a natural wide player but a central midfielder.
Robertson will need to bomb down the left and push Wijnaldum into central areas which is where he is more comfortable.
Jordan Henderson
Manchester City have a new addition to their midfield, €70 million signing from Atletico Madrid, Rodri, who will be the deepest midfielder in the City midfield.
Rodri is being groomed to play the Fernandinho role in Pep Guardiola’s side, and it is up to Jordan Henderson and his midfield partners to put in a few tackles early in the game to stop Rodri from passing, which is he very good at.
Stopping the supply lines deep in the City midfield could stop the flow of balls from midfield to attack, which is a way Liverpool can win the ball quicker and move quickly towards City’s goal.