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(Credit: Getty, Imago)

Edward Bazeley

Sun 10 August 2025 21:00, UK

Liverpool suffered a 3-2 penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.

The Reds’ afternoon got off to a blistering start when new striker Hugo Ekitike scored to give his side an early lead.

However, Palace equalised through Jean Philippe-Mateta before goals from Jeremie Frimpong and Ismaila Sarr for either side ensured that the game finished 2-2 after 90 minutes.

But the defending Premier League champions Liverpool could not hold their nerve in the shootout, as Mohamed Salah blazed his shot over the crossbar and both Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott saw their efforts saved by Dean Henderson.

Meanwhile, Football Insider takes a look at who made a good account of themselves in defeat for the Merseyside giants and which players left a lot to be desired

Ekitike shone on debut for the Reds (Credit Hasan Karim, Breaking Media)

Ekitike’s competitive debut for Liverpool was impressive, even though the Reds were beaten by Palace on 10 August.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt man displayed his attacking prowess with an excellent finish, which epitomised his confidence.

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Furthermore, the France Under-21 international was quick to establish a quick relationship with fellow attacker Florian Wirtz.

On an afternoon when Ryan Gravenberch was absent, Curtis Jones played in a deeper midfield role with 100 per cent pass accuracy according to FotMob.

The Englishman could have been worried about his game time this season, as Dominik Szoboszlai is likely to continue dropping back after the addition of Wirtz.

However, Jones’ performance at Wembley shows that he can challenge the likes of Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister for a starting spot.

Similarly to Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong got himself on the scoresheet despite suffering defeat in his first competitive game for Liverpool.

The right-back remains under heavy scrutiny after arriving to replace former fan favourite Trent Alexander-Arnold, and was able to deliver.

Salah struggled against Crystal Palace (Credit Imago)

Salah shone as one of the best attackers in the global game last season, but he produced a performance to forget against Crystal Palace under the Wembley arch.

The forward was largely anonymous throughout the 90 minutes against the Eagles before striking a woeful penalty well off target.

Arne Slot will need his talisman to perform significantly better across all competitions this season.

While Gravenberch did not play a part in Liverpool’s disappointing defeat on Sunday, Jones’ ability to emulate the Dutchman came as a hindrance to the former Bayern Munich man.

Even though the 23-year-old played a key role for the Reds last season, he will have to work hard to keep himself in starting contention this term.

Jones’ showing at Wembley could see the academy graduate named in Liverpool’s lineup for their Premier League opener against Bournemouth.

Harvey Elliott was introduced to the action late on against Crystal Palace, but made an unwanted contribution when he missed his spot kick.

Even though he featured at Wembley, Elliott is set to leave Liverpool during the summer transfer window.

It would be a great shame for the England Under-21 star if his last contribution for the Reds is missing a spot-kick in a high-profile clash.

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