- Crystal Palace won the Community Shield for the first time in their history after a penalty shootout win over Liverpool
- Four new signings started and made their official debuts for Palace
- Dean Henderson made multiple saves in the shootout to secure the trophy
Key Takeaways:
Crystal Palace won the Community Shield for the first time in their history in their debut appearance in the competition. The London side defeated champions Liverpool in a penalty shootout after the match ended 2–2 in regular time.
Boooooom 🤩🏆 pic.twitter.com/LsJ307tT62
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 10, 2025
Four of the defending Premier League champions new signings started and made their official debuts. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong were the two full-backs. Florian Wirtz played behind Hugo Ekitike, who led the attack. Ryan Gravenberch, who was expected to be among the starters, was not in the squad as his partner gave birth the night before.
In the fourth minute, Liverpool opened the scoring. Kerkez and Wirtz combined well on the left, with the German delivering a low pass to Ekitike. The French striker controlled the ball in the Eagles’ penalty area and struck diagonally, leaving Dean Henderson with no chance – 1–0.
Liverpool’s pressure increased and after 14 minutes they could have doubled their lead. Salah and Ekitike linked up well, allowing the Egyptian to break down the right. He sent a sharp pass to Gakpo, whose weak effort was saved by Henderson, but the Frenchman was offside in the build-up. In the next attack, Van Dijk tripped Sarr in the champions’ penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot.
Jean-Philippe Mateta stepped up and sent a well-placed shot to the right to beat Alisson for 1–1.
In the 21st minute, Liverpool regained the lead. Jeremie Frimpong controlled a long pass on the right and got the better of Mitchell. The Dutch full-back appeared to be attempting a cross, but instead curled the ball with the outside of his foot past Henderson for 2–1.
Crystal Palace increased their pressure significantly in the middle of the second half, while Liverpool dropped deeper in their half. This led to an equaliser about ten minutes before the end. Will Hughes dispossessed Gakpo in Liverpool’s half, with the Reds protesting for a foul on the Dutchman. The ball reached Ismaila Sarr, who beat Alisson via the inside of the left post for 2–2. That was how the 90 minutes ended, sending the match to penalties.
Liverpool took the first penalty, but Mohamed Salah sent the ball high over Henderson’s crossbar. Mateta followed for Palace, firing past Alisson. Mac Allister’s effort was then saved by Henderson. Eberechi Eze went next, aiming low to the right, but Alisson pushed the ball onto his post to keep it out. Cody Gakpo opened Liverpool’s account in the shootout with a precise finish on their third attempt.
Ismaila Sarr converted Palace’s third to make it 2–1 after three rounds. Harvey Elliott missed for Liverpool after another Henderson save. Sosa struck powerfully for Palace but hit the crossbar. Dominik Szoboszlai powered his effort high into the right corner to beat Henderson. Justin Devenny then scored a spectacular penalty to seal the victory for his team.