FA Community Shield Preview: Liverpool, Crystal Palace clash after summer of change

Next Friday marks the official kickoff of the 2025-26 Premier League season, as reigning champions Liverpool host Bournemouth at Anfield in the opening match of the campaign. 

But before that, there is the rather small matter of playing the FA Community Shield, the ceremonial curtain raiser on the English soccer campaign. 

Here’s what you need to know about this year’s FA Community Shield between Liverpool and Crystal Palace, which can be seen live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ from London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday, starting at 10:00 a.m. ET / 7 a.m. PT. 

What is the FA Community Shield? 

The FA Community Shield is an annual match contested between the reigning Premier League champions (in this case, Liverpool) and the FA Cup holders (Crystal Palace). 

Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League campaign with a 10-point advantage over second-place Arsenal. Crystal Palace hoisted the FA Cup after upsetting Manchester City in the final in May.  

Liverpool earned a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park in the Premier League in 2024-25, before the teams played to a 1-1 draw at Anfield on the final day of the season. 

The format 

Sunday’s match is a straight knockout final, with no replays, unlike in the FA Cup.   

If the score is tied after 90 minutes of regulation, the game will go straight to penalty kicks to determine the winner. No extra time will be played.   

A summer of change for both clubs 

Not content to sit on its laurels after winning the Premier League title, Liverpool made a series of big roster moves during the summer transfer window that it hopes will strengthen its side even further and allow it to repeat as English champions. 

Among the newcomers for the Reds are Dutch defender Jeremie Frimpong and German midfielder Florian Wirtz (both from Bayer Leverkusen), Hungarian fullback Milos Kerkez (from Bournemouth) and French forward Hugo Ekitike (from Eintracht Frankfurt). 

Crystal Palace was also somewhat busy adding a few new recruits over the summer, securing Croatian wingback Borna Sosa (from Ajax) and Argentinian goalkeeper Walter Benítez on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven. 

An interesting tactical battle on the cards 

Sunday’s clash between Liverpool and Crystal Palace promises to be an intriguing tactical matchup between two very different teams. 

Palace’s roster is largely intact from the 2024-25 campaign, allowing the Eagles to continue to rely on their greatest strengths: quick transitions, dangerous play down the flanks, and systematic pressing. With French winger Michael Olise and English midfielder Eberechi Eze still in tow, look for Palace to hit out against Liverpool on the counterattack every chance it can get. 

Liverpool is also known for its pressing game, but it also controls the flow of the game by dominating possession. With this in mind, the Reds will push their fullbacks forward in support of the attack in order to apply sustained pressure on Palace’s defence. 

German star Florian Wirtz to debut for Liverpool on Sunday 

Liverpool manager Arne Slot confirmed this week that newly signed Florian Wirtz will make his competitive debut for the club on Sunday. 

Wirtz joined Liverpool earlier this summer when the Reds paid a club-record transfer fee (a reported £116 million) to Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen for the German international. 

Still only 22, Wirtz is considered one of the most promising young playmakers in the European club game – he had 57 goals and 65 assists across six seasons with Bayer Leverkusen. 

Veil of uncertainty over Crystal Palace’s European club season 

By virtue of winning last season’s FA Cup, Crystal Palace earned a spot in the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League, one tier below the Champions League. 

But Palace was recently relegated to play in the third-tier UEFA Conference League after European soccer’s governing body ruled that they breached the organization’s rules in multi-club ownership. American businessman John Textor owns a stake in Palace and is also the majority owner of French giants Olympique Lyon, who qualified for the Europa League. 

Crystal Palace’s appeal against UEFA’s decision to demote them has started at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. A decision on the appeal is expected to be handed down on Monday. 

Interesting stats to keep in mind 

• The FA Cup winners have beaten the Premier League champions in seven of the past nine Community Shields. 
• While Liverpool will play in its 17th Community Shield on Sunday, Crystal Palace will contest for the trophy for the first time in its history. Liverpool’s most recent appearance came in 2022 when it beat Manchester City at King Power Stadium in Leicester. 
• The last four teams to make their Community Shield debut ended up losing, including Southampton (in 1976) and Wimbledon (in 1988), who both suffered defeats at the hands of Liverpool. 
• Liverpool have only won the Community Shield on one of the past six occasions they have played as league champions, beating Wimbledon in 1988. 
• Crystal Palace have won just one of their previous 16 games in all competitions vs. Liverpool (with 12 losses), their lone victory coming at Anfield during the 2023-24 Premier League season. 

What they’re saying

“It’s nice if you can start the season by winning something. We have a chance at the beginning of the season. We face a difficult Crystal Palace side. They have shown how hard it is to win a one-off game with them.” – Liverpool manager Arne Slot. 

“Now is not the time to lie back and say, great, we are the (FA) Cup winners. It’s about defining new goals for us and aim to have a better season than we did last season.” – Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner.