Liverpool Vs Crystal Palace preview: 103rd Community Shield final showdown at Wembley

Liverpool and Crystal Palace will face off in the 103rd Community Shield fixture on August 10 at Wembley Stadium to kickstart the 2025-26 campaign.

The Reds and Eagles will contest the final following their triumphs in the Premier League and FA Cup, respectively, last season.

For Palace, it marks a historic occasion—their first-ever appearance in the traditional season curtain-raiser, having secured their maiden significant honour by lifting the FA Cup. Meanwhile, Liverpool return for their 25th outing in the competition, boasting 16 titles (five of them shared) and last winning in 2022 against Manchester City.

The previous edition saw City edge out rivals Manchester United on penalties in a tight Manchester derby, but this year’s clash offers a fresh narrative: an established force against an ambitious newcomer.

Arne Slot’s debut campaign at Anfield was nothing short of remarkable. Taking over from Jurgen Klopp, the Dutchman hit the ground running with eight wins in his first 10 Premier League fixtures. By December, after a 6-3 hammering of Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool sat top of the table—Slot joining Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, and Antonio Conte as the only managers to lead the league at Christmas in their first season, all of whom went on to win the title.

Slot’s Reds stormed to the finish, clinching the league with a commanding 5-1 win over Spurs. With tactical tweaks, intelligent game management, and a standout season from Mohamed Salah.

Now, the challenge is sustaining that momentum. True to the adage of strengthening from a position of power, Liverpool have spent nearly £300m this summer—a signal that the Community Shield is just a first part of a grander ambition next season that includes domestic and European dominance. Fans will be battling to buy tickets for the game as they’ll want to catch of glimpse of their big-money summer signings, such as Florian Wirtz.

Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner guided Palace to an unforgettable milestone—delivering the club’s first-ever major silverware in their 119-year history.

The Eagles capped off their historic campaign with a celebratory afternoon at Anfield, drawing against Premier League champions Liverpool—a fitting prelude to their upcoming Community Shield clash on August 10.

Though Ismaila Sarr’s early strike gave Palace the lead and a numerical advantage after Liverpool were reduced to ten men in the second half, they couldn’t hold on for the win. Still, Glasner could reflect with pride on a remarkable year that saw Palace win the FA Cup, reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, and finish with a club-record 53 Premier League points—this after enduring a dire run of just three points from their opening eight matches.

The defining moment came at Wembley, where Palace stunned City to lift the FA Cup. The emotional scenes that followed—captains Joel Ward and Marc Guehi raising the trophy—etched the season into club folklore.

Their Carabao Cup journey, ending in a narrow defeat to Arsenal in the quarter-finals, and a best-ever Premier League points haul in a 20-team format only added weight to an extraordinary campaign.

Glasner’s impact, however, transcends tactics and results. Beyond delivering silverware and record-breaking numbers, the Austrian manager has impressed with his character, combining self-assurance with empathy and an ethical approach that has resonated both within the squad and beyond.

Palace will hope for more Wembley magic when they return to face Liverpool in the Community Shield final. Glasner’s system and strategic nous will again be in the spotlight as the Eagles aim to add a second major trophy to their cabinet.

Yet, off the pitch, the club faces a crucial week. Their ongoing dispute over European qualification will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on August 8, just 48 hours before the Wembley showdown. The verdict, due a day later, could determine whether Palace claim their Europa League place or drop to the Conference League.

Liverpool vs Crystal Palace match details

• Date: Sunday, August 10
• Location: London, England
• Venue: Wembley Stadium
• Kick-off time: 3:00 PM BST, 02:00 PM UTC
• Referee: Chris Kavanagh
• Assistant Referees: James Mainwaring, Wade Smith
• Fourth Official: Tony Harrington
• Reserve Assistant Referee: Akil Howson
• VAR: Paul Tierney
• Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton
• Tickets: You can buy tickets for Liverpool vs Crystal Palace at Seatsnet.com

Match stats and head-to-head

• The showdown between Liverpool and Crystal Palace will mark the 103rd Community Shield final clash in history.

• The last six encounters between these two teams have all featured three or fewer goals, including two 1-0 scorelines and a 0-0 draw, suggesting a tight, low-scoring affair could be on the cards.

• Liverpool and Crystal Palace qualified for the 2025 FA Community Shield as the winners of the 2024–25 Premier League and the 2024–25 FA Cup, respectively.

• It will be the 67th meeting between the two sides and the first appearance for Crystal Palace in a Community Shield match, after they earned their first ever major trophy in winning the FA Cup.

• Liverpool have previously appeared in 24 Community Shield matches, winning 16 titles (sharing 5 of which), and appearing most recently in the 2022 edition, where they beat Manchester City 3–1 at the King Power Stadium.

• Liverpool have suffered only one defeat in their last 15 domestic meetings with Crystal Palace (W12 D2).

Team news

Liverpool are expected to field several of their big-money summer signings when they take on Crystal Palace in the Community Shield.

New boss Arne Slot has been heavily backed in the transfer market, with the Reds already spending over £250m. High-profile arrivals Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitike are all in line to make their competitive debuts at Wembley.

However, the Merseysiders will be without key names. Alisson Becker has left their preseason camp due to personal reasons, Alexis Mac Allister is still sidelined with a fitness issue, and Joe Gomez has returned home after picking up an injury.

Palace, by contrast, have managed to keep their core squad intact despite considerable interest in stars like Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi. Both remain at Selhurst Park for now.

Oliver Glasner could also hand debuts to his two new signings—left-back Borna Sosa and goalkeeper Walter Benitez—as the FA Cup holders aim to add another historic triumph under the Austrian’s reign.

Prediction

The reigning Premier League champions return to the Community Shield for the first time since narrowly defeating Manchester City in 2022, hoping to begin the new season with silverware.

However, a repeat of that showdown is off the cards—thanks to Oliver Glasner’s tactical brilliance, which inspired Crystal Palace to a shock 1-0 victory over City in May’s FA Cup final. That triumph not only delivered the Eagles their first-ever major trophy but also earned them a historic debut in this prestigious curtain-raiser.

Though often labelled a ‘glorified friendly,’ Palace will view the clash as another golden chance to lift silverware under the iconic Wembley arch.

For Liverpool—winners of the Shield 16 times—the match provides an early opportunity to gauge Arne Slot’s new-look squad. The Reds have spent big on summer signings, and this encounter will serve as the first actual test of their revamped side.

We’re predicting a 1-0 win for Liverpool.