Arsenal and Liverpool lock horns in the Community Shield this afternoon — less than a month after the 2019-20 domestic season drew to a close.

Due to the enforced break caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the showpiece match sees the Gunners return to Wembley for the second time in four weeks having beaten Chelsea to lift the FA Cup on August 1.

The tradtional curtain-raiser between the Cup holders and Premier League champions usually takes place a week before the season starts.

But with international fixtures scheduled next weekend, it is being played a fortnight in advance.

And while Liverpool have been in pre-season training for more than two weeks, Arsenal’s players only returned from their mandatory three-week holiday seven days ago.

Because of the hectic schedule both teams had to tackle when the Premier League returned in June, the lack of preparation time means a competitive and fast-paced game is unlikely.

Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane (pictured above) will be eyeing a goal-laden start to the season against a side they have both fared well against previously.

Brazilian star Firmino has scored eight times against Arsenal and fellow 28-year-old Mane has netted six.

At the other end of the pitch, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has found the net twice in each of his past two appearances at Wembley.

Should he repeat that trick today, he will overtake Alexis Sanchez as Arsenal's record scorer at the national stadium.

For the Gunners, this is just their second pre-season outing after a 4-1 victory at MK Dons on Tuesday, while Liverpool beat Stuttgart and drew with RB Salzburg during their tour of Austria.

Today's match is the first Community Shield meeting between the two teams since 2002, which the Gunners won 1-0, and their fourth overall.

Did you know?

Today is the latest date a Community Shield has been staged since Bolton beat Wolves 4-1 on October 6, 1958.

Apart from 2019 when Manchester City played as double winners, the holders of the FA Cup have beaten the league champions in four of the last five Community Shield matches, with Arsenal winning three of those (2014, 2015 and 2017).

Excluding league games, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 12 matches at Wembley, when they suffered a 3-0 defeat to City in the League Cup final in 2018.

Arsenal 3 vs 1 Liverpool

Arsenal 4 vs 0 Liverpool