A general view as players of Liverpool and Crystal Palace take part in the pre-match handshakes as fans of Liverpool display a banner in tribute to former Liverpool player Diogo Jota prior to the 2025 FA Community Shield match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
Crystal Palace have beaten Premier League champions Liverpool 3-2 on penalties to win the Community Shield after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Wembley, with their keeper Dean Henderson reprising his FA Cup final-winning penalty-saving heroics.
Substitute Justin Devenny scored the winning spot kick to give Palace the spoils in the traditional season curtain-raiser on Sunday after Mohamed Salah ballooned the Reds’ first penalty and Henderson then saved efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott.
There was a major talking point before the match when some fans made noise during a minute’s silence for former Liverpool striker Diogo Jota, who died alongside his brother Andre Silva in a car accident earlier this year.
Loud voices could be heard in the crowd, which prompted some boos, and referee Chris Kavanagh then blew his whistle to signal the end of the tribute.
????️ Arne Slot on the disturbance to the Diogo Jota tribute
"I don't think there's a bad intention to it, because the fans of Crystal Palace and everywhere around the world has paid huge respect to Diogo and Andre…
"We will see Friday when Bournemouth come to our stadium how… pic.twitter.com/vHWz0S3zsy
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) August 10, 2025
Liverpool have retired Jota’s No. 20 jersey as a mark of respect, with fans applauding as the clock struck 20 minutes during the game.
It was reported that some Pacae fans inside the concourse area had not realised the minute’s silence was taking place, and were singing ahead of taking their seats.
“Yeah, I’m disappointed,” said Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk. “That’s the only thing I can say. There was plenty trying to shush it down, but obviously that doesn’t help. It is what it is.
“You can’t control … how many people were here [in total]? Eighty thousand so, yeah, it’s disappointing to hear that. But if those persons can go home and be happy with themselves, then …”
Manager Arne Slot was diplomatic about the incident afterwards, saying: “I’m a positive person and if I look at the respect that has been paid to them both from everywhere around the world, I had this in my mind.
“It was not planned by the fan or fans who made the noise and then the fans of Palace were trying to calm them down and that was noise as well and our fans reacted.
“I don’t think there was a bad intention to it because fans around the world have paid respect to Diogo and Andre. And we will see Friday, when Bournemouth come to our stadium, how respectful fans will be. Maybe this fan was so happy to be in the Community Shield he forgot for a second.”
Some Liverpool fans, meanwhile, booed the national anthem, as they have done for several years
New recruit Hugo Ekitike had put Liverpool ahead inside four minutes after he and record signing Florian Wirtz combined beautifully before the Frenchman produced a superb finish.
But Palace deservedly levelled in the 17th minute, Jean-Philippe Mateta sending Alisson the wrong way from the penalty spot after Virgil van Dijk brought down Ismaila Sarr.
Close-season signing Jeremie Frimpong restored the Reds’ lead, as Liverpool fans marked the death of Portugal forward Diogo Jota with 20 minutes on the clock in honour of his shirt number, sending an attempted cross looping in off the post.
The Eagles posed a threat on the counter and kept themselves in the game, although Ekitike spurned two decent chances to extend Liverpool’s lead in the early stages of the second half.
Palace’s England forward Eberechi Eze then tested Alisson with a low shot before the Londoners equalised again with 13 minutes to play, Sarr slotting past the onrushing Alisson.
Palace nearly grabbed a winner at the end, with Mac Allister perhaps fortunate to have a VAR referral for handball in the box go his way before Devenny nearly scored in added time, as the traditional match between the league champions and the Cup holders went to penalties.
Devenny got the winner in the shootout with an emphatic penalty to give Palace a third victory at Wembley in a row.
Palace’s celebrations last season soon turned into a court battle for the club after they were demoted from the second-tier Europa League to the third-tier UEFA Conference League.
European soccer’s governing body found Palace in breach of multi-club ownership regulations because of their ties to French club Lyon through American businessman John Textor.
Palace lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport with a verdict expected on Monday.
Loud voices could be heard in the crowd, which prompted some boos, and referee Chris Kavanagh then blew his whistle to signal the end of the tribute.
????️ Arne Slot on the disturbance to the Diogo Jota tribute
"I don't think there's a bad intention to it, because the fans of Crystal Palace and everywhere around the world has paid huge respect to Diogo and Andre…
"We will see Friday when Bournemouth come to our stadium how… pic.twitter.com/vHWz0S3zsy
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) August 10, 2025
Liverpool have retired Jota’s No. 20 jersey as a mark of respect, with fans applauding as the clock struck 20 minutes during the game.