Premier League champions Manchester City and UEFA Champions League winners Liverpool are poised to get the new season under way in the FA Community Shield supported by McDonald’s.
The season’s traditional curtain-raiser will take place at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 4 August.
Pep Guardiola’s side conquered all before them last season, becoming the first men’s side to win the domestic treble.
The Reds pushed them all the way, eventually finishing as Premier League runners-up, before claiming their sixth European Cup in Madrid.
And here are some key facts ahead of Sunday’s big clash:
- This is the first FA Community Shield meeting between Manchester City and Liverpool. The only other meeting between the sides at Wembley Stadium was in the 2016 League Cup final, with City winning 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
FA COMMUNITY SHIELD: CLUB WEMBLEY TICKETS
- Manchester City have won just two of their last 12 meetings with Liverpool (D3 L7), though one of those draws was in the 2016 League Cup final which they then won on penalties.
- This is the seventh time in the Premier League era a double-winning side has faced the Premier League runners-up in the FA Community Shield. The previous season’s runners-up have won two of the last three (Arsenal v Manchester United in 1999 and Manchester United v Chelsea in 2010).
- This is City’s 12th appearance in the Shield, winning it five times including against Chelsea last year.
- This is Liverpool’s 22nd appearance in the Shield – only Manchester United (31) have played in more.
- This is Liverpool’s first appearance in the FA Community Shield since 2006 when they beat Chelsea 2-1 in Cardiff. This is the first time Liverpool will have played in the Shield at Wembley since 1992 when they lost 4-3 to Leeds United.
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last seven games at Wembley Stadium (W6 D1) since losing to Arsenal in the 2017 Emirates FA Cup semi-final. They’ve only conceded one goal in those seven games, scoring 16.
- Liverpool have won just one of their last five games played at Wembley (D1 L3), though that victory was in their last game at the stadium, 2-1 against Spurs in the Premier League.
- Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has lost four of his eight meetings with Liverpool in all competitions (W2 D2) – against no side has he lost more in his managerial career (also four, against Chelsea and Real Madrid).
- Sergio Aguero scored both of Manchester City’s goals in their 2-0 win against Chelsea in this fixture last year. He could become the first player to score in consecutive Shield matches since Adrian Heath for Everton in 1985 and 1986 (excluding own goals).
