Crystal Palace claimed the 2025 FA Community Shield in dramatic style, defeating Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regulation time at Wembley Stadium. It marked the Eagles’ first-ever triumph in the competition.
Last season’s FA Cup winners twice came from behind during the 90 minutes before holding their nerve in the shootout. Dean Henderson was the hero once again, saving from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, while Mohamed Salah blazed his effort over the bar.
According to Google Trends, the search volume for this high-octane game crossed 50,000 and it saw an increase of 1,000% as of 10 pm (August 10).
What happened in the game?
Liverpool struck early, with new signing Hugo Ekitike announcing himself just four minutes into his debut. The French forward finished clinically after a slick Reds move, giving the Premier League champions a dream start. Palace responded in the 16th minute when Virgil van Dijk brought down Ismaila Sarr in the penalty area. Jean-Philippe Mateta made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Alisson the wrong way.
Jeremie Frimpong restored Liverpool’s advantage in the 22nd minute in bizarre fashion. Attempting a cross from near the touchline, the ball looped over Henderson and dropped in off the far post.
Palace refused to wilt, pushing hard for another equaliser in the second half. Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Sarr pounced on a loose ball after Cody Gakpo’s misplaced pass, calmly slotting past Alisson to make it 2-2.
High-drama penalty shootout
The penalty shootout brought high drama. Salah missed Liverpool’s opener before Mateta converted for Palace. Henderson’s saves from Mac Allister and Elliott proved decisive, and although Dominik Szoboszlai kept Liverpool alive, teenager Devenney coolly buried the winning spot-kick to seal a famous victory.
The win, however, came at a cost for Palace, with captain Marc Guehi limping off late on with a suspected hamstring injury.