Crystal Palace Stun Liverpool to Win First-Ever Community Shield in Dramatic Shootout

Crystal Palace made history on Sunday, August 10, by winning the Community Shield for the first time, overcoming Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw at Wembley Stadium.

In a gripping season curtain-raiser, Liverpool’s high-profile summer signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong both scored for the Premier League champions. But Palace responded with goals from Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr to force the match into a penalty shootout.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson emerged as the hero for Palace, saving penalties from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, while Mohamed Salah fired his effort over the bar. Justin Devenny netted the winning spot-kick, sparking wild celebrations among the Palace squad and fans.

The victory marks a second major triumph for the Eagles in just a few months, following their historic FA Cup win over Manchester City in May — a clear sign of the club’s rapid rise under manager Oliver Glasner.

The match also carried emotional significance for Liverpool, who were playing their first competitive fixture since the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, in a car accident in July. In a moving pre-match tribute, club legend Ian Rush and Palace chairman Steve Parish laid wreaths at Wembley. Liverpool supporters paid homage with banners and flags, although a planned minute’s silence was disrupted by crowd noise and cut short.

Liverpool started strongly, with £69 million signing Ekitike scoring in the 4th minute from a Florian Wirtz assist. Palace equalised when Sarr was brought down by Virgil van Dijk and Mateta calmly converted the penalty.

Frimpong restored Liverpool’s lead with a cross-turned-goal that caught Henderson off guard, but Palace refused to back down. Sarr struck again late in the second half, finishing a precise through ball from Adam Wharton to level the score once more.

With no extra time, the match went straight to penalties, where Palace held their nerve to complete a memorable comeback and lift the Shield in their debut appearance in the fixture.