Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to win the Community Shield at Wembley.
Dean Henderson saved from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott after Mohamed Salah sent Liverpool’s opening kick over the bar.
New Liverpool signings make an instant impact
Hugo Ekitike needed only four minutes to score on his competitive debut. He exchanged passes with Florian Wirtz, turned outside the box and found the far corner with a low shot.
Palace levelled from the penalty spot in the 17th minute after Virgil van Dijk brought down Ismaïla Sarr.
Jeremie Frimpong restored Liverpool’s lead four minutes later. His sliced cross sailed over Henderson and dropped inside the far post.
Sarr forces the shootout
Palace stayed in the contest and equalised again in the 77th minute. Sarr broke into the box and finished off the inside of the post beyond Alisson.
The forward had scored four times in seven matches against Liverpool, according to the Associated Press.
Henderson delivers at Wembley
Salah missed the target with Liverpool’s first penalty. Henderson then stopped Mac Allister and Elliott, while Alisson denied Eberechi Eze and Borna Sosa struck the crossbar.
Justin Devenny converted the decisive kick to secure another Wembley trophy for Palace.
“It was a big performance,” manager Oliver Glasner said in an Associated Press report. “We were almost the same level as Liverpool. I’m really proud of the team and how they played.”
Van Dijk demands a response
Van Dijk admitted Liverpool had work to do before beginning their Premier League title defence.
“We realise we need a couple of things that we have to improve as a team if we want to retain the title,” he told Liverpool FC.
Arne Slot started four summer signings in Ekitike, Frimpong, Wirtz and Milos Kerkez. The goals from Ekitike and Frimpong offered encouragement, but Palace’s comeback exposed the work still required.
