Crystal Palace secured a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley, with Justin Devenny scoring the decisive spot-kick after Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott all missed for the Premier League champions.
Liverpool had taken the lead twice through new signings Hugo Ekitiké and Jeremie Frimpong, but Palace equalised on both occasions, first through Jean-Philippe Mateta's penalty and then via Ismaïla Sarr. The FA Cup winners held their nerve in the shootout to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.
Arne Slot's summer spending spree, which included the British-record £116m signing of Florian Wirtz, looked to have paid immediate dividends as Ekitiké scored in the fourth minute. However, Palace's well-drilled side exposed defensive frailties in Liverpool's new-look backline, with Eberechi Eze causing particular problems.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner named the same starting XI that faced Manchester City in the FA Cup final, while Slot handed debuts to Ekitiké, Frimpong, Milos Kerkez and Wirtz. The victory provides a boost for Palace as they await the outcome of their appeal against a Europa League demotion.
Only eight teams that have won the Community Shield in the Premier League era have gone on to win the title, so Slot will not be overly concerned. Liverpool begin their league campaign against Bournemouth on Friday night.
