Liverpool midfielder Fabinho admits the win over Manchester City in the Community Shield was made more enjoyable by the quality of the opposition.
Pep Guardiola’s side have won the Premier League four times in the last five campaigns, denying the Reds by a point in two of those years.
And while the result at Leicester’s King Power Stadium has no real bearing on next season, the Brazil international nevertheless enjoyed victory over City, just their third in 11 meetings since winning three times the 2018-19 campaign.
“Of course it’s always important to win trophies,” Fabinho told PA news agency.
“Winning against City, I’m not going to lie, I feel better because they’re the best team in England, so it feels good to beat them.
“I think it’s the best way to start the season. I think it’s important for us because it was a very intense game, it was tough physically.
“All the players who played 90 minutes it was the first time they did it this season; in preseason we didn’t play 90 minutes.
“It’s good that the legs are better physically for the start of the Premier League.”
Saturday’s game was largely focused on the second-half introduction of summer signing Darwin Nunez, who won a penalty and then scored to secure a 3-1 win.
The Uruguay international may have to wait a little longer for his first start as, even with a full pre-season behind him, manager Jurgen Klopp has a tendency to introduce new arrivals slowly.
Fabinho, who experienced the same when he signed in the summer of 2018, understands why this happens, but believes the ball will always find a “new right number” like Núñez in the penalty area.
“It is in a period of adaptation. We have seen that it is improving,” he added.
“In the first game of the pre-season he didn’t know the team very well, but we’ve had three weeks of training, so he knows a little bit about how we play.
“We are learning a little more about the way he plays. We know he is quick and strong and a good new number who will be in the box.
“It seems that the ball will follow him and he will always have chances to score.
“To be honest, we always want to play and we always think that we are ready to play in a new team and a new league and we are ready for the intensity.
“But we learn from the players who play longer at Liverpool, so it’s important that he learns from Bobby (Roberto Firmino) and Diogo (Jota).
“He has a very good relationship with Bobby, they are always together and I think Bobby gives him some advice because it will be important for him to learn from a player like him.
“But he’s the type of player like Luis (Diaz) – you can put him in the team and he’ll score goals and do a good job and give the opposition defenders a lot of work.”