Crystal Palace wins first Community Shield beating Liverpool on penalties at Wembley

Crystal Palace secured their first Community Shield trophy by defeating Premier League champions Liverpool in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw at Wembley. Liverpool took an early lead with Hugo Ekitike scoring on his debut, but Palace equalized through Jean-Philippe Mateta's penalty and later Ismaila Sarr’s goal, with Liverpool briefly regaining the lead via Jeremie Frimpong. Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson was pivotal in the shootout, saving penalties from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, earning the win for the Eagles. Head coach Oliver Glasner praised his team’s resilience and confidence, emphasizing their ability to match Liverpool's level and expressing pride in their performance. Despite their Community Shield success and FA Cup victory, Palace face uncertainty about their participation in the Europa League next season due to a pending appeal against UEFA's demotion to the Conference League over multi-club ownership rules. Glasner and Henderson both expressed that the team deserved to compete in the Europa League based on their on-field achievements, highlighting the ongoing legal dispute overshadowing their sporting accomplishments.