Liverpool 3-1 Man City: Darwin comes in to influence Reds' Community Shield win

Darwin Nunez scored and won a penalty to help Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-1 in the Community Shield.

City, last season's Premier League champions, and FA and Carabao Cup winners Liverpool, both showcased their big acquisitions at Leicester's King Power Stadium in Leicester, but it's the Uruguay international who eclipsed City's Erling Haaland.

Nunez came off the bench in the 59th minute with the score at 1-1 and his aerial presence won the late penalty from which Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead for the second time.

But the former Benfica striker, who had already been disallowed a goal by City keeper Ederson, wasn't done there and bent down to head home his first for the Reds in national competition in additional time.

A new City signing made his mark - former £14m River Plate striker Julian Alvarez came off the bench to cancel out Trent Alexander-Arnold's opener - but the focus was really on on the big men upstairs.

The season's traditional curtain-raiser went as planned with the two best teams in the country, but it was the nuance of what the new signings could bring that drew intrigue.

No one cares about Liverpool and Manchester City because it's HAALAND V NUNEZ TIME BABY

Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games for Borussia Dortmund before his summer move and will likely add many more for City once he and they adjust.

The Norway international had the fewest touches of any player in the first half - eight - and the serve he received throughout was limited.

But that didn't mean he wasn't a threat and when Andy Robertson initially stripped him of Bernardo Silva's cross, the 22-year-old reacted quickest by firing a shot than the third-choice keeper Adrian pushed back.

His next attempt moments later on another Silva cross didn't go as well as it came to him at an awkward height and he couldn't decide what to do with it and completely missed.< /p>

But he saved the worst for last when he exploded against the crossbar against an open goal from six yards out in injury time.

Nunez, however, justified Jurgen Klopp's decision to continue his integration from the bench.

The 23-year-old scored four second-half goals in a pre-season friendly against RB Leipzig, but that wasn't enough to convince his manager to start him from the start.

But when presented he was a bundle of energy and, unlike City with Haaland, Liverpool seemed better equipped to complement his talents.

With virtually his first touch he was knocked down by Ederson, who was spared an offside flag, then the City goalkeeper rushed in to block Nunez's shot with his chest after Jordan Henderson played it.

Nunez is more of a traditional number nine and less of the multi-functional player Klopp usually prefers, but that can work to his advantage and when he climbed the highest to head down the ball hit Ruben's arm Dias.

Referee Craig Pawson dismissed the handball claims, but after being advised to consult the pitch monitor, awarded a penalty and Salah swept past Ederson.

But Nunez wasn't done there, and his poacher's instincts had him leaning in to head home the knockdown of Robertson in injury time.

It was a thrilling end to a game that had its ups and downs, with Alexander-Arnold giving Liverpool the lead in the 21st minute.

Thiago Alcantara's cross was killed instantly under the foot of Salah, whose pass rolled invitingly into the path of the full-back who unleashed a shot that just hit Nathan Ake's head passing through the second post.< /p>

City improved in the second half and Alvarez, introduced at the same time as Nunez, equalized in the 70th minute after Adrian saved Phil Foden's initial effort but missed the rebound.

VAR checked for offside and although the goalkeeper appeared to have both hands on the ball, after a long delay the goal was deemed legitimate to mean the new signing followed in the elated footsteps of Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez as the third Argentine to score in the Community Shield.

He will, however, always play second fiddle to Haaland as Nunez has begun to establish himself as Liverpool's long-term option and ensure Sadio Mane's summer sale to Bayern Munich quickly becomes an afterthought.

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