Liverpool unleashed several of their new big-money signings against Crystal Palace at Wembley in the Community Shield on Sunday, 10th August. There were positive signs that the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Hugo Ekitike will be successful at the club. But Arne Slot might also be slightly concerned his new-look side couldn’t get the better of a Palace side that finished 11 places below the champions in the Premier League table last term.
In this article, we’ll take a look back at how the Community Shield played out. Then we’ll consider whether teams should be bothered if they don’t win it… and whether they might even prefer not to!
Crystal Palace Beat Liverpool on Penalties at Wembley
Defeat on penalties in the FA Community Shield. pic.twitter.com/J7PUw5mRIJ
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 10, 2025
It was a surprise to many when Crystal Palace won the FA Cup last season, not least because they had to overcome Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the final. They went into that game as the heavy underdogs but ran out deserved 1-0 winners, Eberechi Eze’s goal proving decisive.
Oliver Glasner’s men were once again underdogs when they returned to Wembley to face Premier League champions Liverpool on Sunday. And once again, they made a mockery of the odds to get the better of the favourites. This time, they had to rely on penalties, but they were the better side over the course of the match and deserved the victory.
Things had started brightly enough for Slot’s men as the Reds took an early lead through new man Ekitike, who picked his spot and scored in the bottom corner. Palace didn’t panic, however, and battled back to earn themselves a penalty, with the usually faultless Virgil van Dijk fouling in the box. Jean-Philippe Mateta converted the spotkick to make it all-square.
It wasn’t level for long, though, as another new signing, Jeremie Frimpong, put the Reds ahead once again. Whether it was intended as a cross or a shot is immaterial, as it ended up in the back of the net and Liverpool looked like they might kick on from there.
Once again, though, Palace fought back effectively and created more chances than their opponents through the second half. The Eagles got the breakthrough after 77 minutes when Ismaïla Sarr ran onto a through-ball and finished clinically. It remained 2-2 until the final whistle, and Palace got the better of things in what was a rather poor penalty shootout.
Were Liverpool’s New Signings Any Good?
Often, sides that win the league are expected to hit the ground running when the new season rolls around. But Liverpool have signed several players who are likely to be the first choice in their positions, so it might take a few weeks for Slot’s masterplan to take full effect. But even in this game, there were signs that Wirtz could develop into one of the most important players for the Reds. He was given the freedom to support Ekitike up top but also to drop deep or go out wide when he deemed it necessary, and the German has exceptional decision-making skills so he was generally very good positionally.
Ekitike looked sharp too, and could develop into an effective attacking focal point… assuming the Reds don’t effectively replace him before he’s unpacked his suitcase by purchasing Alexander Isak from Newcastle.
The new attacking full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, will perhaps take longer to bed in as they try to balance their defensive duties with those further up the pitch. At times, Liverpool looked a little exposed at the back, usually because one or both full-backs had bombed forward and not made it back to assist the centre backs. But that can no doubt be worked on in training and in the opening matches of the Premier League campaign.
Reds Must Hit the Ground Running
Having said it might take a little time for things to fully gel with the new Liverpool line-up, the Premier League is very unforgiving and the tough games will come thick and fast. The Reds’ opening match is at home to Bournemouth, which looks very winnable on paper (but then so did Palace at Wembley!). But then they must travel to Newcastle, which is bound to have an even more vociferous atmosphere than usual, given the ongoing Isak saga. If it’s resolved by then, there’s a small chance Isak could even make his debut against the Magpies, but perhaps Slot might decide against that.
After that, the Reds face another tricky one as they host last season’s runners-up Arsenal at Anfield. If they get at least seven points from their opening three games, we think Slot will be pleased enough. And after that, his new signings should certainly have found their feet in time for three very winnable games in September: Burnley away, Everton at home, and – the chance of revenge – Palace away.
Is the Community Shield Cursed?
The last three times Liverpool won the Community Shield, they failed to win the Premier League. This happened most recently in 2022/23 when they beat Man United at Wembley but then failed to win any other silverware that season. The same happened in 2006/07: this time they beat Chelsea 2-1 in Cardiff, and the closest they came to another trophy was when they lost in the Champions League final to Milan. When they won the Community Shield in 2001/02, the Reds did at least pick up one other piece of silverware, the UEFA Super Cup.
The last time Liverpool won the Community Shield and went on to win the title was back in 1989/90, which was still the old First Division. Interestingly, no side has won both the Community Shield and the Premier League title in the same season since Manchester City in 2018/19. So perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise that Liverpool failed to win the Community Shield this time around. We will see over the next 10 months of brilliant football!