(Credit: Hasan Karim, Breaking Media/Imago)

Jonathan Burnett

Tue 12 August 2025 16:24, UK

Liverpool’s quartet of Dutch players all had differing impacts in their Community Shield defeat to Crystal Palace.

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Arne Slot has strengthened Liverpool’s contingent of his compatriots this summer with a £29.5million move for Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, as he became their first signing of a busy window.

Liverpool started Frimpong alongside fellow new arrivals Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike at Wembley in their first match of the new season, and the latter scored just four minutes into his debut.

Frimpong and Ekitike both scored on their Liverpool debuts (Credit: Manh Tung, Breaking Media)

An out-of-sorts Virgil van Dijk was arguably at fault for both of Crystal Palace‘s goals as Liverpool lost 3-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time, while Cody Gakpo failed to make much of an impact.

Ryan Gravenberch missed the match altogether after his partner gave birth on the same day, but with Van Dijk and Gakpo both under-par, Frimpong rose to the occasion to immediately make his mark.

Gravenberch’s place in Liverpool’s midfield could be under threat after Curtis Jones‘ display alongside Dominik Szoboszlai in Slot’s double-pivot at Wembley, but the Reds’ right-back spot is already secure.

Frimpong had arrived at Anfield amid doubts over his ability to play as a conventional right-back, but still got forward at will against Palace and sent a looping effort over Dean Henderson‘s head in the first half.

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That speculative strike immediately gets Frimpong up and running in a Reds shirt, and after Liverpool’s defeat on penalties, the 24-year-old posted on Instagram (11 August) with a message to supporters.

Gravenberch commented with a love heart emoji beneath Frimpong’s post, which said: “Disappointed with the result but we go again.

Happy with my first goal in a Liverpool shirt”.

Football Insider Verdict

Although both Ekitike and Frimpong scored on their Liverpool debuts to stake their starting credentials to Slot for the new season, the Reds boss will have plenty of queries to tackle in the wake of their defeat.

The make-up of the midfield pairing behind Wirtz will be impacted by Gravenberch’s absence and Jones’ performance alongside Szoboszlai, who dropped back from last season’s number 10 role at Wembley.

Alexander Isak remains the overwhelming talking point of the Reds’ transfer business as the end of the window nears, but Ekitike may well have done enough to convince Slot that he won’t be superseded as Liverpool’s number nine.

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