Crystal Palace have made history by claiming their first-ever FA Community Shield, triumphing over Premier League champions Liverpool in a thrilling contest at Wembley Stadium on 10 August 2025.
The match ended 2–2 after regulation time and was decided in a tense penalty shootout, which ended 3–2 in Palace’s favour. The victory marks the club’s second major trophy in just three months, following their landmark FA Cup win in May.
Liverpool looked to be in control early on, with summer signings Hugo Ekitiké and Jérémie Frimpong netting debut goals that gave the Premier League champions a 2–0 lead. Yet Palace, unchanged since their FA Cup triumph, showed their mettle.
Jean-Philippe Mateta brought them back into the match with a penalty after a foul on Ismaïla Sarr by Virgil van Dijk, and Sarr himself delivered a late equaliser to force penalties.
In the shootout, Liverpool faltered—as Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, and Harvey Elliott squandered their chances—while Palace’s Dean Henderson stood tall, making two crucial saves. Capping off the drama, substitute Justin Devenny calmly scored the decisive spot-kick to seal a memorable win for the Eagles.
Coverage noted that Liverpool’s big-spending summer input—including Ekitiké, Frimpong, and Florian Wirtz among others—was impressive but ultimately undone by a disciplined and combative Palace setup.
For Crystal Palace, the victory is more than just another trophy. It comes amid broader turmoil and uncertainty surrounding their status in European competition.
The club’s FA Cup win—their first major trophy—earned them a place in Europe for the first time, but UEFA demoted them to the Europa Conference League play-off round due to multi-club ownership rules involving Olympique Lyonnais. Palace are currently appealing this decision, with the outcome due imminently.
CRYSTAL PALACE ARE THE 2025 COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS ❤️ pic.twitter.com/dXhwOVGbSZ
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) August 10, 2025
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s status as a penalty specialist was further solidified by his commanding performance at Wembley—a vital backbone to Palace’s success in both the FA Cup and now the Community Shield.
And the team’s continuity—manager Oliver Glasner opting to field largely the same side that lifted the FA Cup—demonstrated the value of cohesion over wholesale summer recruitment.
The scenes at Wembley were electric. Fans from south London turned out in force, celebrating Palace’s remarkable ascent with fervour. Meanwhile, a planned tifo marking their FA Cup and semifinal successes could not fly due to stricter stadium rules, though the atmosphere remained electric.
Adding to the emotional rollercoaster was a tribute to the late Diogo Jota, observed by both teams before kick-off, which was briefly interrupted—highlighting the charged atmosphere that afternoon.