The curtain-raiser for the English football season is set as Crystal Palace face Liverpool in the 2025 FA Community Shield at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 10.
Traditionally contested between the Premier League and FA Cup winners, this year’s showdown offers both clubs a chance to claim their first silverware of the new campaign.
Crystal Palace: From Relegation Threat to FA Cup Glory
Crystal Palace endured a difficult start to the 2024–25 season, flirting with relegation under new boss Oliver Glasner. But the Eagles staged a remarkable turnaround, capped by a historic 1–0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, with Eberechi Eze netting the winner securing the club’s first-ever major trophy.
Palace finished 12th in the league and have reinforced their squad with two key additions: Borna Sosa (Ajax) and Walter Benítez (PSV). Crucially, they’ve kept hold of stars like Eze, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Marc Guéhi, although the latter continues to be linked with a move to Sunday’s opponents, Liverpool.
Liverpool: Slot’s New Era Begins With Silverware Ambition
After Jürgen Klopp’s emotional departure, Arne Slot took the reins at Liverpool amid uncertainty. But the Dutchman quickly found his footing, guiding the Reds to a Premier League title and Carabao Cup final in his debut season.
Slot made only one signing in 2024 – Federico Chiesa from Juventus – but has splashed the cash this summer, adding:
Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen)
Miloš Kerkez (Bournemouth)
Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia)
Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt – £80m)
And Florian Wirtz, whose £116m move broke the British transfer record.
However, several key players have departed, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz, Caoimhín Kelleher, and Jarell Quansah, while Darwin Núñez is on the verge of a move to Al-Hilal for £53m.
Form Guide:
Crystal Palace: 3 wins, 2 losses, 1 draw in pre-season.
Liverpool: Impressive form, with just one defeat – a 4–2 loss to AC Milan in their Asian tour.
Head-to-Head:
In 63 previous meetings:
Liverpool: 35 wins
Crystal Palace: 15 wins
Draws: 13
Palace famously dented Liverpool’s 2023–24 title charge with a surprise 1–0 win at Anfield, while the 3–3 “Crystanbul” draw in 2014 remains one of the most dramatic encounters between the two.
Players to Watch:
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
The heartbeat of Palace’s resurgence, Eze scored 14 goals and 11 assists last season. His creativity and flair were pivotal, including a standout performance in a 1–1 draw at Anfield on the final day.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
At 33, Salah remains unstoppable. His 29 goals and 18 assists last season marked the highest goal contributions in a 38-game Premier League campaign. He swept individual honours, including the Golden Boot, Playmaker Award, and FWA Footballer of the Year.
Team News:
Crystal Palace
Out: Eddie Nketiah (hamstring, 6 weeks), Cheick Doucouré, Chadi Riad (both long-term).
Available: Full squad otherwise fit.
Liverpool
Out: Joe Gomez (Achilles).
Doubtful: Conor Bradley (knock), Alisson Becker (personal reasons missed final pre-season games, but manager Slot is hopeful).
Available: Virgil van Dijk, who has recovered from illness
Predicted Line-Ups:
Crystal Palace (3–4–2–1):
Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guéhi; Muñoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta
Liverpool (4–2–3–1):
Alisson; Frimpong, Konaté, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
What to Expect:
Liverpool enter as clear favourites, but Palace’s recent history of upsetting the Reds and their newfound confidence under Glasner suggests this could be a tighter contest than many expect.
The 2025 Community Shield promises a fascinating clash of momentum vs. firepower, and a statement of intent for whoever lifts the trophy at Wembley.
