FA Community Shield 2019: Manchester City 1-1 Liverpool (5-4 on pens) - 5 Talking Points
New season, same old Manchester City: Their domestic dominance has resumed as they lifted the season's first piece of silverware with a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Premier League runners-up Liverpool for the Community Shield at Wembley.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Joel Matip saw the two sides finely poised after 90 minutes during a less-than-friendly encounter between England's top two sides, with just a week before the new campaign begins.
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum saw his spot-kick saved in the resulting shootout by an inspired Claudio Bravo, which proved pivotal as Gabriel Jesus dispatched past compatriot Alisson to seal their narrow victory. With all of that in mind, here's a look at five talking points from an intriguing encounter which could have swung either way:
#5 Raheem Sterling with divisive display against his former side
Raheem Sterling finished a well-worked move to break the deadlock against his former club after 12 minutes. A cute finish from close-range, it was one that Alisson should have done better to keep out - but the type of goal that you wouldn't complain scoring either way.
On his 11th appearance against his former side, he finally netted his first goal and this should have propelled him further during the type of encounter where match-winning moments are often at a premium.
However, perhaps at a different stage in the campaign, Raheem would have netted a hat-trick on this occasion. Instead, he settled for one, squandered a promising opportunity to essentially kill off Liverpool's comeback hopes and it almost cost them the victory altogether.
At times he threatened with trademark slaloming runs into the box, excellent dribbling and the like - though at crucial moments his decision-making wasn't razor-sharp. That indecisiveness is why many continue to criticise, while others are still aware there's more to come from a player who enjoyed his most productive season to date in 2018/19.
He's at his best when faced with challenges he can respond to instinctively, whether that be a promising opportunity or otherwise. When presented too much time to think, he often tends to choose the wrong option or rushes into a mistake he wouldn't usually make under pressure.
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