Crystal Palace 2-2 Liverpool
(3-2 on penalties)
by Gene Sylvester
at Wembley

AND just like that, the football season is back - and as tradition serves, the season opener was contested between FA Cup Winners Crystal Palace and Premier League champions Liverpool on a scorching afternoon down at Wembley today.

Goals from new Liverpool signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong proved to be enough for the Premier League champions to take home the FA Community Shield.

Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva were remembered before the action started on the pitch with ex-Liverpool striker Ian Rush and Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish laying a wreath in front of the Liverpool fans before a moment of silence took place on the pitch with all 22 players around the centre circle.

As expected with these two sets of fans, the atmosphere was electric prior to kick-off and the game itself started at a tempo to match with the Premier League champions only taking four minutes to get off the mark and it was the two big Liverpool signings so far this summer who were both involved.

Ekitike and Florian Wirtz combined well on the left with the French striker drifting inside to collect the German’s pass. The striker then cut inside onto his right and unleashed a low left foot shot past the dive of Dean Henderson in the Palace goal and into the bottom right hand corner.

Palace were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute when the impressive Ismaila Sarr tricked his way across the edge of Liverpool’s box, eventually tempting Virgil van Dijk into a nibble which resulted in the Liverpool captain clipping the Senegalese striker and referee Christopher Kavanagh pointing at the spot.

Jean-Philippe Mateta stepped up to take the penalty, sending Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker the wrong way while calmly side footing into the right-hand side of the net.

It only took 5 minutes to regain the lead and it came in somewhat fortuitous fashion. 

Another summer signing, Frimpong, found himself one on one with Tyrick Mitchell and using his tricks and pace, made some space for himself down the right before attempting to dink a right-footed cross into the centre that lobbed Henderson and went straight into the net.

The goalscorer had another opportunity to put Liverpool 3-1 ahead straight after the restart, but his headed effort from a Kerkez cross bounced just wide of the upright.

But it was the Eagles who found themselves level once again after Cody Gakpo was easily wrestled off the ball by Will Hughes, before Adam Wharton released Sarr with the striker placing his shot past Alisson and in off the near post.

Palace finished the stronger of the two sides during the final 15 minutes of the game, but the match finished all square, with Palace winning the penalty shootout 3-2 to win the first FA Community Shield that the club has ever contested, sparking huge celebrations from the Palace fans following 22-year-old Justin Devenny’s winning penalty.