Crystal Palace secured just their second ever trophy with a dramatic spot-kick victory over Liverpool.
With the score 2-2 after 90 minutes, penalties were required to split the two sides, and it was Oliver Glasner's side who reigned triumphant after Justin Devenny lashed the deciding penalty into the top right corner.
The FA Cup victory over Manchester City in May marked Palace's first ever trophy, and amongst the celebrations the Eagles qualified for a chance to mix amongst Europe's elite.
A jubilant and exciting summer soon turned sour when European bureaucracy took over. Whilst tomorrows CAS ruling currently shadows over the Eagles, the gutsy and exciting performance from Palace was a stark reminder that the South London team are on an upward trend, as Glasner's side earned a second trophy in just three months.
Palace played with bravery, and a belief that they could defeat the Premier League champions, pressing high and attacking with flair as they put Liverpool to the sword throughout.
Liverpool adopted a 4-3-3 with a midfield trio of Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones. While the attacking trio offered a scintillating attacking threat when the Premier League champions had possession, offering fluid swift interchanging football alongside the attacking contingent of Mohamed Salah, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo, when the Reds lost possession, the Liverpool midfield sorely missed the presence of Ryan Gravenberch.
The lack of a traditional “six” allowed Palace space to attack into after recovering the ball, releasing the likes of Sarr and Eze to drive into the spaces vacated by Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong with Palace bearing down on the Liverpool centre-backs.
The approach often left Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell in promising areas by the touchline, with Palace particularly utilising the right flank of Munoz, but it did expose Chris Richards and Marc Guehi to defend one-on-one versus Gakpo and Salah, which also allowed Liverpool to progress in transition and placed immense burden on the recovery of the wing-backs.
While Liverpool experienced joy, Palace’s continued bravery was ultimately rewarded as they dictated the tempo particularly in the second half with their continued press and high line.
The usage of the wing-backs providing attacking width, also enabled Sarr and Eze to find pockets in the half-spaces, ultimately which led to the Palace final equaliser.
The overcoming of adversity has become a staple of the Glasner's tenure at Selhurst Park, and Palace would fight back twice to level the tie before overcoming the Premier League Champions to begin the season in style.
Story of the Match
Immediately Glasner’s side found themselves behind. After good work from Liverpool's summer signing Wirtz**,** the German midfielder fed fellow arrival Ekitike. The reported £69 million striker cut in from the left-hand side after being kept onside by Guehi**,** and fired a right footed effort from outside the box into the far corner to give the Premier League champions the lead.
Liverpool continued to look threatening and Ekitike nearly doubled the Reds lead when denied by a spectacular save from Dean Henderson at close range, though the offside flag was later raised.
Palace started to grow into the game, finding openings in transition, and the Eagles would soon restore parity in the contest through talisman Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The Frenchman was released through one-on-one to bear down on the Liverpool goal, but Alisson Becker would stand firm to deny the Palace striker.
Ibrahima Konate would latch onto the loose ball but failed to clear his lines adequately, allowing Ismaila Sarr to drive into the Liverpool penalty area from the left-hand side. Liverpool captain Virgil Van Dijk attempted to stop the Senegalese attacker, but his mistimed tackle would see the Dutch international fell Sarr, providing Palace with the penalty.
Mateta stepped up to the spot and calmly slotted it into the right hand corner, wrong footing Alisson, and finally providing the Eagles supporters with a Wembley 'boom'.
Liverpool would soon restore their one goal advantage despite Palace's buoyed efforts. A cross field pass from Dominik Szoboszlai found Frimpong on the right-hand flank, and the former Bayer Leverkusen full-backs miskicked cross floated over Henderson and off the post into the Palace goal in a moment of fortune for Slot's side.
The second half saw Liverpool begin on the front foot once again, and Palace living dangerously. The Eagles found themselves fortunate to remain with just the one goal deficit after Ekitike headed harmlessly wide from a free header inside the six yard, before the Frenchman fired over just moments later.
After surviving the early Liverpool onslaught momentum started to shift, and Palace were in the ascendancy.
The Eagles cries for a penalty were waved away when Eberechi Eze tumbled in the penalty area under pressure from Konate, and Sarr was inches away from a leveller after guiding a Mateta flick-on goalwards.
A Chris Richards header would draw Alisson into action, and the Brazilian had to be at his best to deny Eze with a strong hand diving to his right.
With Palace surging forward in search of an equaliser, spaces began to open in transition for Liverpool, and Wirtz should have put the game to bed when firing over.
The missed opportunity kept the FA Cup winners in the match, and the Eagles would duly punish their opposition. After a good recovery from Hughes, a deft through ball from Adam Wharton released Sarr who fired his right footed finish in off the post to bring Palace level.
The match began to become frantic as it neared a close. Salah fired tamely at Henderson, Mateta’s wild strike went wayward from inside the penalty area, and Devenny's long range effort whistled past the post with penalties looming.
A wayward Salah penalty gave Palace an early advantage, and after Henderson saved Mac Allister and Elliot's penalties the Eagles were poised for victory, despite Eze and Borna Sosa both being denied by the woodwork.
Mateta and Sarr had previously scored their penalties, allowing Devenny to step up with the power to win the match. The 21-year-old emphatically showed his composure to overcome the jeering Liverpool fans and the pressure, rifling the ball into the top right corner to secure Palace the silverware.
After the match, Glasner expressed his delight in Palace continuing with their gameplan and the rewards it has brewed.
“We know when we play as a team, stick to our to our principles and do it in the right way, we're always having that togetherness and then it's not so easy to play against us,” said Glasner. “We're always able to score goals and we showed it again. This is something created over several months. At the end of the season, lifting the first trophy for us underlined this process.”
Consistency is always the foundations of success and hopefully we can keep the squad together.”
Palace will now turn their attention to the start of the new Premier League season, with a visit to FIFA Club World Cup Champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge kicking off the Eagles 2025/26 campaign.
Line-ups:
Crystal Palace: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Subs: Hughes (29' for Kamada), Sosa (79' for Mitchell), Lerma (85' for Wharton), Devenny (90+3' for Guehi).
Liverpool: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Jones, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Salah, Ekitike, Gakpo
Subs: Endo (71' for Jones), Mac Allister (71' for Ekitike), Elliot (84' for Wirtz), Robertson (84' for Kerkez)