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Virgil van Dijk expressed his disappointment after Liverpool lost to Crystal Palace in the 2025 Community Shield at Wembley, a match that ended 2-2 after 90 minutes and was decided by penalties with Palace winning 3-2.

Liverpool took an early lead through new signing Hugo Ekitike at four minutes, assisted by Florian Wirtz. However, Crystal Palace quickly equalized when Jean-Philippe Mateta scored a penalty after van Dijk fouled Ismaila Sarr at 17 minutes. The Eagles then took the lead again with a goal from Jeremie Frimpong, another debutant, before Sarr leveled the score at 77 minutes, pushing the game to penalties.

In the shootout, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Harvey Elliott, and Alexis Mac Allister all missed their attempts. Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson saved two penalties, and Justin Devenny scored the winning kick for Palace, who added another trophy following their FA Cup success in May.

Van Dijk, reflecting after the match in an interview with talkSPORT, acknowledged his team's defensive mistakes and emphasized that despite the setbacks, he is not worried about the future. He highlighted a strong need for Liverpool to sign another forward this summer to bolster the attacking options, particularly following the departures of Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz. Van Dijk's comments were seen as a clear appeal to Liverpool’s management to strengthen the squad further, especially targeting a forward like Alexander Isak, although Newcastle has maintained he is not for sale this summer.

Four new summer signings—Ekitike, Frimpong, Wirtz, and Milos Kerkez—made their competitive debuts for Liverpool, while Alisson Becker returned after missing the final two preseason games. Despite promising new additions, the loss underlines the challenges Liverpool face in integrating new players and maintaining their competitive edge.

The Community Shield defeat marks Liverpool’s second Wembley loss within five months, following the Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle, raising questions on squad depth and transfer strategy ahead of the new Premier League season.

PP

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