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Liverpool vs Crystal Palace – Community Shield Preview

Date: Sunday, 10th August 2025

Venue: Wembley Stadium

Kick-off: 15:00 BST

The curtain-raiser to the English football season sees Premier League champions Liverpool face FA Cup winners Crystal Palace at Wembley. Both sides are looking to lay down an early marker for the 2025/26 campaign.

For Arne Slot, this will be his first competitive outing since lifting the league title in May, and the Dutchman will relish the chance to add more silverware to an already glittering debut season. Liverpool arrive in London with confidence sky-high, bolstered by summer additions and a squad still hungry for more.

Palace, under the astute guidance of Oliver Glasner, has momentum after their famous 1-0 FA Cup final triumph over Manchester City. It was a victory that ended a 164-year wait for major silverware, and one that has transformed the club’s ambitions heading into the new season. This will be their first-ever Community Shield appearance — an occasion their supporters will savour.

Crystal Palace Availability

Glasner will be without Chadi Riad Dnanou, Edward Nketiah, Matheus Franca de Oliveira and Cheick Doucouré through injury. At the same time, Marc Guéhi is expected to lead out his men in what could be his last game for the club before moving to Liverpool.

Palace’s pre-season form has been steady rather than spectacular, with a 1-3 win over Augsburg followed by a 1-0 loss against the same outfit. Their core XI remains well-drilled, and Glasner’s tactical blueprint of disciplined shape and sharp counters will be their main weapon at Wembley. With question marks surrounding the futures of Adam Wharton, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guéhi, and Jean-Philippe Mateta, this encounter could be the last with all playing together.

Predicted Crystal Palace Lineup (3-4-2-1):

GK: Dean Henderson

CB: Maxence Lacroix

CB: Marc Guéhi

CB: Jefferson Lerma

RWB: Daniel Muñoz

CM: Adam Wharton

CM: Daichi Kamada

LWB: Tyrick Mitchell

RAM: Ismaïla Sarr

LAM: Eberechi Eze

CF: Jean-Philippe Mateta

Liverpool Availability

Liverpool’s summer business has been shrewd, with Jeremie Frimpong ready to make his competitive debut and Florian Wirtz in contention for a first start following his record-breaking arrival from Bayer Leverkusen. Virgil van Dijk will lead the side out once more, and with a clean bill of health for most of the squad, Slot has a wealth of attacking options at his disposal.

The only confirmed absentees are Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez. Mohamed Salah, now fully committed to the club’s new era, will spearhead the right flank, while Slot is expected to deploy Wirtz as a creative hub behind a central striker. The tempo and rhythm will take time to gel, however, the vibrancy that will flow through the attacking assets will be intriguing, as two new full-backs add pace and width to a new look side. Alisson Becker is excited to start on the sidelines after travelling back from Brazil. Alexis Mac Allister has only recently returned to full training so he will also likely start on the bench.

Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1):

GK: Giorgi Mamardashvili

RB: Jeremie Frimpong

RCB: Ibrahima Konaté

LCB: Virgil van Dijk (c)

LB: Milos Kerkez

CM: Dominic Szoboszlai

CM: Ryan Gravenberch

ACM: Florian Wirtz

RW: Mohamed Salah

CF: Hugo Ekitike

LW: Cody Gakpo

How Will This Contest Play Out?

The contrast in styles is clear: Liverpool will look to dominate possession, pressing high and using the width to stretch Palace’s back three, while Glasner’s men will aim to soak up pressure before striking on the break through Eze and Mateta.

Wembley’s wide pitch could play into Liverpool’s hands, particularly with Frimpong and Kerkez expected to push forward aggressively. If Wirtz can find pockets of space between the Palace midfield and defence, the Eagles could face sustained spells of pressure. However, Palace’s set-piece threat and Mateta’s sharpness in transition will ensure Liverpool’s back line must remain switched on. Hugo Ekitike will be the new starting striker for Slot, as the exciting French star looks to capitalise on his new side’s current inability to secure Alexander Isak.

Player to Watch: Florian Wirtz

All eyes will be on Liverpool’s new No. 7, whose vision, dribbling and quick passing could be the difference-maker. A debut goal at Wembley would instantly endear him to the travelling Reds support and set the tone for his first season in England.

Steven Smith’s Score Prediction:

Liverpool 2 – 0 Crystal Palace

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