Palace Stun Liverpool to Win Community Shield in Penalty Thriller
The 2025 football season kicked off with drama, tension, and a result few had predicted, as Crystal Palace lifted the Community Shield after defeating Liverpool on penalties at Wembley. This was not just another match — it was Palace’s first appearance in the competition, and they marked it with a performance that will be remembered by their fans for years.
Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot, arrived with all the headlines thanks to their £265 million summer spending spree, bringing in Hugo Ekitiké, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremie Frimpong. And for a while, it looked like that investment was about to pay off. Within minutes, Ekitiké opened the scoring after a slick one-two with Wirtz, slotting past Dean Henderson. Jeremie Frimpong later restored Liverpool’s lead with a cross-turned-shot that looped over the Palace keeper.
But Oliver Glasner’s Palace side, disciplined and determined, refused to be overawed. After Jean-Philippe Mateta was brought down by Virgil van Dijk in the box, the striker calmly dispatched the penalty to level things up the first time. Then, late in the game, Adam Wharton set up Ismaïla Sarr, whose precise finish went in off the post to bring Palace back to 2-2.
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Liverpool had chances to put the game away — Ekitiké missed two golden headers, and Salah, unusually quiet, saw his best effort saved. Palace, meanwhile, kept growing into the match, with Eberechi Eze testing Alisson and Sarr threatening again in the closing stages.
The game moved to penalties, and that’s when the real twist came. Mohamed Salah blazed his spot-kick over, Alexis Mac Allister had his saved, and Harvey Elliott saw his effort stopped as well. Dean Henderson became the hero, making two crucial saves, while Justin Devenny — a substitute thrown into the spotlight — kept his cool to score the winning penalty. Wembley erupted in red and blue.
For Palace fans, the victory was doubly sweet, coming just months after their FA Cup triumph on the same ground. It also served as a defiant statement amid their ongoing battle with UEFA over European competition eligibility. For Liverpool, it was a reminder that spending big doesn’t guarantee instant dominance, and that their new-look defense can still be breached.
Only a handful of Community Shield winners in the Premier League era have gone on to claim the league title, so Arne Slot may not lose too much sleep. But with the league opener against Bournemouth just days away, he will know this defeat — especially in the manner it came — is not the start he had hoped for.
Palace, meanwhile, will carry this momentum into their season, knowing they have already proven they can match, and beat, England’s best. At Wembley, the underdogs were crowned, and they wore the shield with pride.
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