Liverpool’s Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace ended in heartbreak as the Eagles triumphed 3-2 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 draw in regular time.
Goals from Hugo Ekitiké and Jeremie Frimpong, combined with an outstanding display from Florian Wirtz, had looked set to secure a narrow Community Shield win for Arne Slot’s summer signings as they made an immediate impact for the Premier League champions. However, despite the potential addition of Alexander Isak to an already potent attack, Oliver Glasner’s disciplined Crystal Palace proved the Reds’ revamped defense isn’t invincible. Palace earned their spot in the shootout by leveling for the second time late in the game, thanks to a crucial strike from Ismaïla Sarr.
For the FA Cup winners, making their debut in this competition, it was another moment to celebrate as they await Monday’s decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport on their appeal against Europa League demotion.
However, with Frimpong and fellow new signing Milos Kerkez occasionally struggling to contain Ismaïla Sarr and the electric Eberechi Eze, Liverpool might ramp up their pursuit of Palace captain Marc Guéhi—who left the pitch briefly with cramp after another relentless performance before returning to lift the trophy.
Only eight Community Shield winners in the Premier League era have gone on to claim the league title, so Arne Slot won’t be losing much sleep over this result. Still, having admitted his side enter the new season as favourites following their summer spending spree, he’ll be eager for greater clinical edge when they kick off against Bournemouth on Friday night.
It’s been a summer of contrasts for these two clubs since they exchanged a guard of honour at Anfield in May. While Slot named newcomers Ekitiké, Frimpong, Kerkez, and Wirtz—whose fee could hit a British-record £116m—in his starting XI, Oliver Glasner stuck with the same lineup that faced Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Plans to recreate the spectacular tifos from the Holmesdale Fanatics during the wins over City and Aston Villa had to be scrapped due to new, stricter Wembley regulations.
Before kickoff, Liverpool fans behind one goal unveiled a banner honoring Diogo Jota, with both teams observing a minute’s silence for the Portugal forward and his brother André Silva—though the moment was briefly disrupted by a small section in the Palace end.
Slot confirmed Ryan Gravenberch was unavailable after his partner gave birth on Saturday night, leaving Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones to anchor the midfield. It didn’t take long for the new signings to make their mark—Wirtz and Ekitiké combined with a slick one-two on the left side of Palace’s box in the fourth minute, with Ekitiké calmly firing past Dean Henderson. A clever flick from Ekitiké then set Salah up for a golden opportunity, which, despite his effort, was denied by both the Palace goalkeeper and the assistant referee’s offside flag, keeping Liverpool from doubling their lead.
But Palace have proven they can challenge anyone these days, responding instantly when Jean-Philippe Mateta broke through on goal. Alisson made a crucial save, spreading himself to deny the chance, but moments later, Virgil van Dijk was caught off guard by Sarr’s threat. Referee Chris Kavanagh had no choice but to award a penalty after the Dutch defender mistimed his tackle—and this time, Mateta kept his cool to convert.
Defensively vulnerable against Eze, much like Trent Alexander-Arnold before him, Frimpong shines more going forward. He sent in a teasing cross aiming for Ekitiké at the back post, which looped over Henderson and in off the far post to put Liverpool back in front. Palace’s woes continued when Daichi Kamada had to leave with an injury before halftime. His replacement, Will Hughes, struggled to hit the target with a volley soon after coming on but brought extra grit to Palace’s midfield battle.
Ekitiké missed a golden opportunity to put Liverpool further ahead early in the second half, heading wide from a pinpoint cross by Kerkez with the goal wide open. The Hungarian left-back, a £40m signing from Bournemouth, showed confidence going forward, delivering another superb cross that found Ekitiké—only for the striker to fire off target once more.
Palace grew in confidence as their fans repeatedly voiced opposition to UEFA. Chris Richards tested Alisson with a header from a corner, and Eberechi Eze forced an excellent near-post save from the Liverpool keeper after being set up by Adam Wharton.
Liverpool appeared to have weathered the Palace storm, but a momentary lapse from Kerkez, 13 minutes from time, allowed Wharton to feed Sarr, whose finish ricocheted off the post and in. Moments later, Sarr nearly doubled Palace’s lead, only for Kerkez to make a crucial late intervention, deflecting the shot over the bar.
Salah finally found a sight of goal with eight minutes remaining but could only shoot straight at Henderson. In the dying moments, Devenny came close to becoming Palace’s hero before keeping his composure in the penalty shootout to send the fans wild—especially after Borna Sosa missed his chance to seal the win for Liverpool.
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