Crystal Palace clinch historic 2025 Community Shield after penalty heroics from Henderson

Crystal Palace etched their name into the history books by winning the FA Community Shield for the first time, edging Liverpool 3-2 on penalties after an electrifying 2-2 draw at Wembley Stadium on August 10, 2025. The victory also marks the club’s second consecutive major trophy following their FA Cup triumph earlier in the year, solidifying a golden era for the Eagles. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson made three saves to help them win the title.

Debut goals from Liverpool stars

The match began at a frantic pace as Liverpool made a statement within the opening four minutes. New signing Hugo Ekitike, making his Liverpool debut, showcased instant chemistry with his teammates during a flowing multi-pass attack involving Gakpo, Writz, and Salah.

Ekitike masterfully curled a right-footed shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner, giving Liverpool an early 1-0 lead and electrifying the crowd.

Read Also: Crystal Palace vs Liverpool Community Shield: Ekitike and Frimpong achieve a rare feat after 19 years.

Crystal Palace responded assertively, driving pressure through their wing play. The breakthrough chance came in the 16th minute when Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk committed a foul on Ismaïla Sarr inside the penalty box. The referee had no hesitation in awarding Palace a penalty. Jean-Philippe Mateta calmly sent Alisson the wrong way with a well-placed low shot to level the game 1-1.

Liverpool reclaimed the lead soon after in the 21st minute, courtesy of another debutant: right-back Jeremie Frimpong. What initially seemed like a cross attempt by Frimpong surprised many as it sailed over Palace’s goalkeeper Henderson, finding the net.

Read Also: Community Shield past winners list from 1908

Tactical second half

The second half saw Palace strengthen their efforts to claw back into the match. Despite some Liverpool defensive resilience, Crystal Palace created several promising chances. Notably, Eze and Sarr forced saves from Alisson, with the keeper proving why he remains a world-class presence in the Liverpool net.

Arne Slot made tactical substitutions, bringing on fresh legs such as Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo to shore up midfield control. Meanwhile, Palace introduced Jefferson Lerma and Borna Sosa to bolster their midfield and attacking options.

The deadlock was broken dramatically in the 77th minute when Ismaïla Sarr produced the equaliser for the Eagles. With a clever first touch and quick footwork, he found himself nearly one-on-one with Alisson after a turnover won by Hughes from Gakpo’s side. Sarr delicately chipped the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to score an important equaliser, 2-2.

Read Also: 6 Players with the most goals in Community Shield history

Horrible penalties and heroics from Henderson

Despite the late equaliser, both teams pushed hard in the dying minutes, with Palace’s Justin Devenny narrowly missing a chance in the final minutes that would have sealed the match.

Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah was also denied a late winner by the alert Dean Henderson, who proved to be Palace’s hero during the penalty shootout.

Extra time was not played in this Community Shield fixture, so the winner was decided by a tense penalty shootout. The shootout began with a dramatic miss from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who skied his attempt over the bar, setting the tone.

Palace’s Mateta, Sarr, and Devenny remained cool under pressure, converting their penalties with composure. Henderson produced crucial saves, including one against Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott and Alexis Mac Allister, effectively sealing the trophy for Crystal Palace with a 3-2 shootout victory.

Match Summary