CRYSTAL Palace won the Community Shield for the first time on Sunday, defeating Premier League champions Liverpool 3-2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2 in regular time.
The highly anticipated match at Wembley Stadium, which witnessed three goals inside the opening 25 minutes**,**saw Liverpool dominate early on, with Hugo Ekitike scoring the opening goal in the 4th minute.
However, Crystal Palace equalised when Jean-Philippe Mateta converted a penalty in the 17th minute after Ismaïla Sarr was fouled in the box.
The Reds regained the lead with a stunning strike from new addition Jeremie Frimpong in the 21st minute, but Palace fought back to level the score again with Sarr’s goal in the 77th minute.
With both teams unable to find a winner in 90 minutes, the match went straight to penalties.
Crystal Palace goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, was the hero, saving penalties from Alexis Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, while Eberechi Eze had his penalty saved as well.
However, Palace’s composure from the spot ultimately led to their victory.
The Community Shield match is the Premier League curtain raiser between the Premier League champion and the FA Cup winner.
The 2025/2026 Premier League season starts on Friday, August 15, with a match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth.
Bankole Abe
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance