FA Cup champions Crystal Palace claimed the Community Shield in dramatic fashion, defeating Premier League title holders Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Wembley.
Dean Henderson was the hero for Palace in the shootout, denying Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, while Mohamed Salah fired over the bar.
That set the stage for 21-year-old Justin Devenny—introduced in stoppage time—to confidently smash home the decisive spot-kick past Alisson.
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The victory marked another milestone in Palace’s historic year, having secured their first-ever major trophy just months ago. Remarkably, they became the first debutants to win the Community Shield in 50 years, a feat last achieved by Derby County in 1975.
The clash was a pulsating season curtain-raiser, with the action igniting in just the fourth minute.
Four of Liverpool’s five high-profile summer signings started, and it took only moments for two of them to combine. Record signing Florian Wirtz threaded a pass to Hugo Ekitike, who swiveled on the edge of the box and drove a low shot into the far corner beyond Henderson.
Palace hit back on 17 minutes when Jean-Philippe Mateta converted from the penalty spot after Virgil van Dijk brought down Ismaila Sarr. Mateta would later score again in the shootout.
Liverpool quickly regained the lead thanks to another debutant, Jeremie Frimpong. The right-back weaved his way into the area and floated what seemed like a cross over Henderson, the ball striking the far post before bouncing in.
Earlier, Liverpool supporters had observed a poignant 20th-minute tribute to Diogo Jota, who tragically passed away in a car accident last month.
Ekitike twice squandered golden opportunities after the break, first heading wide from close range and then firing over from inside the box. Those misses proved costly when Sarr raced onto a through ball, kept onside by Frimpong, and fired in off the post to level the match again.
Palace believed they had a case for another penalty when Mac Allister appeared to handle inside the box, but VAR upheld the referee’s decision. Devenny came close to winning it in stoppage time, only to be denied by inches.
The young Northern Irishman would not be kept out for long, however—stepping up to seal the victory in a penalty shootout that capped one of the most thrilling Community Shield encounters in years.
