Manchester City’s Community Shield defeat to Liverpool 12 months ago had many believing the Pep Guardiola effect had deserted the Sky Blues – but they hit back in emphatic fashion to claim the Treble
Now then – you know what they did last summer.
Manchester City’s Wembley defeat to Liverpool 12 months ago had many believing the Pep Guardiola effect had deserted the Sky Blues, that Erling Haaland would struggle in the Premier League and that the Reds were set for title domination.
So, few fans of the Treble winners will have left London on Sunday night fearing for their prospects over the next 10 months. In fact, when will we ever learn that the result of the Community Shield is no indicator whatsoever of the title destination?
Only twice in the last 10 years has the winning team gone on to become champions of England. Both times it was City. So yes, the easy thing would be to wonder whether the loss of Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez, both of whom know where the goal is, could prove City’s undoing this season.