Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version or go back to LFC Live.net

(Image: Getty Images)

English football's annual curtain raiser went the way of FA Cup holders Crystal Palace as Arne Slot suffered a second successive defeat as Liverpool head coach at Wembley on Sunday, via a penalty-shootout loss.

After Hugo Ekitike had given the Reds the lead with an eye-catching early strike, the Eagles replied through Jean-Philippe Mateta's penalty before Jeremie Frimpong's attempt at a cross caught Dean Henderson out before half time.

Ismaila Sarr fired in an equaliser for Palace to take the game to penalties where they triumphed 3-2 to lift the Community Shield in a game attended by over 82,000 on the day.



READ MORE:Steve Parish makes major Marc Guehi exit claim after Liverpool transfer interest - 'No doubt'READ MORE:Liverpool sent Marc Guehi transfer reminder as Florian Wirtz left visibly unhappy

The ECHO, as ever, was there on the day to provide our usual array of match-day coverage.

Well, that is another matter entirely.

"For all the attacking riches Slot already boasts, and may yet add to, his pre-match lament that his players were giving away too many chances proved an apt observation.

Article continues below

"Liverpool led twice as the curtain came up on the new season with the Community Shield and might have scored four with new signings Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz weaving pretty patterns.

"Yet Crystal Palace continually pegged them back, threatened to score four themselves and eventually held their nerve as a low quality penalty shoot-out ensued.

"Change has also been necessary for Liverpool, in part due to the players they have sold, but also because of a determination to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

"What is clear is that it will take some teams time to decipher his new-look side from an offensive sense given the speed, fluidity and interchanges with which they will attack."

Rich Jolly, of The Independent, writes: "For Ekitike, the £69m striker, there was a goal inside four minutes in his first meaningful match.

A forward who was not always clinical for Eintracht Frankfurt last season could have had a hat-trick but headed wide from perhaps four yards and shot past the post from eight.

"Nevertheless, Liverpool could derive optimism from the way he combined with Wirtz; there were signs of chemistry.

That is the catchline that will follow Hugo Ekitike every time he makes a decisive contribution to Liverpool's season.

"And that is probably the problem.

And after glimpses of excitement throughout pre-season here was confirmation that Florian Wirtz will be given free reign in the Liverpool side.

"'I think I'm a player who needs freedom on the pitch, and the manager gives it to me,' Wirtz said earlier this week.

As Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai took up positions to see them both play as No.10s without a recognised striker - in the manner that proved so fruitful at Manchester City last season - it also brought the lack of senior depth to the fore in that position currently.

"Liverpool, of course, saw a £110m bid for Alexander Isak rebuffed earlier this month and the feeling persists that they will re-enter those negotiations once the Magpies are finally able to bring in the sort of quality that would replace the gifted Sweden international.

"Slot might well have simply been trying out a different system and alternative tactics for the final 20 minutes or so here at Wembley and he could claim that Wirtz's versatility meant he was being trialled as something of a 'false 9'.
For more news relating to Manchester City, visit our sister site City Latest Live.