Manchester City came away disappointed from Saturday's Community Shield meeting with Liverpool, as City ended up on the losing side in the showpiece fixture for the second consecutive season.
Liverpool were deserved 3-1 winners, but Pep Guardiola and his players will no doubt have learnt more from a difficult defeat than they would have a comfortable victory. While they would have preferred to kick the new campaign off with some silverware, the Blues will be fully focused this week on their next assignment.
City begin their Premier League title defence with a trip to West Ham on Sunday, hoping to begin the season on the front-foot. Here's what they must do to achieve that.
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Find Haaland's runs
Against Liverpool there were numerous occassions when Haaland made a darting run in behind Liverpool's high defensive line, but his teammates did not release the ball in time to play him through on goal.
The understanding between Haaland and City's midfielders is going to need time to develop, but against West Ham they will have another opportunity to work on it. The Hammers don't play as high up the field as Liverpool, but they certainly don't park the bus either.
Be ready for Antonio
City drew 2-2 at the London Stadium in the penultimate game of last season, and West Ham forward Michail Antonio was the main thorn in City's side.
While it was Jarrod Bowen who scored both of the host's goals, Antonio caused havoc in and around the City box. That day Guardiola fielded Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho at centre-back, and they struggled to cope. The more physical pairing of Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake should hopefully fare better.
Get your eye in
City's passing was way off its usual standard against Liverpool, and it was one of the factors that ultimately contributed to their defeat. Liverpool are a side you really don't want to be giving the ball away too much against, and neither are West Ham.
The likes of Bowen, Antonio and Declan Rice will hoover up any balls given away in dangerous areas, so City need to be on the A-game in that respect.
Open up
Should Dias and Ake start then their teammates might have to work harder to give them passing options. Both are fine defenders and good on the ball, but neither quite has the vision or passing ability of John Stones or Laporte.
When dealing with pressing sides (like Liverpool) and low-blocks, that can affect City's chance creation. West Ham aren't exactly either, so hopefully both should be fine.
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