Crystal Palace beat Liverpool on penalties to secure Community Shield | OneFootball

Dean Henderson saved two penalties as Crystal Palace fought back against Liverpool to win the Community Shield in a shootout after a 2-2 draw at Wembley.

Henderson kept out spot-kicks from Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott, after Mohamed Salah had missed the Reds’ first, as the Eagles added more silverware to their collection, having secured their first major trophy with FA Cup glory in May.

Liverpool summer signing Hugo Ekitike opened the scoring on his competitive debut in the fourth minute, assisted by another new addition, Florian Wirtz, before Jean-Philippe Mateta drew the sides level with a 17th-minute penalty.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions restored their lead four minutes later through another debutant, Jeremie Frimpong, before Ismaila Sarr’s 77th-minute equaliser forced penalties.

Justin Devenny wrapped up a 3-2 victory for the Eagles in the dramatic shootout.

Tributes, including a wreath-laying and standing ovation, were paid before kick-off to former Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, who died in a car crash in Spain on July 3.

The minute’s silence had to be cut short due to some shouting from a small number of Palace fans.

Liverpool took the lead just as the smoke was settling from the red flares lit by Palace fans, who also displayed a banner reading ‘UEFA mafia’ – a nod to their demotion to the Conference League over multi-ownership rules.

Slot’s new additions introduced themselves brilliantly as Milos Kerkez and Wirtz progressed up the pitch before the latter found Ekitike, who laid a neat pass back to Wirtz at the corner of the 18-yard box.

The Germany international then provided a short pass along the edge of the area for Ekitike, who struck past a diving Henderson into the bottom-right corner.

But the lead did not last long as Virgil van Dijk brought down Sarr and referee Chris Kavanagh had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Mateta missed a penalty in the FA Cup final but would not be denied here, sending Alisson Becker the wrong way as he fired into the bottom corner.

Frimpong’s own account-opener for his new club seemed to be intended as a cross from the right, but instead looped over Henderson’s fingertips and in as Liverpool swiftly restored their advantage.

The ball hit the net just before the clock struck 20 minutes and 20 seconds – a fitting moment to honour Jota, who wore number 20.

Ekitike missed two chances at the beginning of the second half, while momentum-building Palace had not been entirely devoid of opportunities of their own, going close when Eberechi Eze forced Alisson into a save on the hour.

Sarr then levelled, latching on to a lovely pass from Adam Wharton before hitting the equaliser off the inside of a post.

Palace appealed for a penalty after Sarr and Mac Allister both challenged for a ball in the air, but, after Kavanagh turned to VAR, it was deemed no handball by the Argentinian, and the game ended in stalemate.

Salah struck over the bar to open the shootout, before Mateta fired low past Alisson and then Henderson, who also made a critical save in the cup final shootout, denied Mac Allister to put Palace in the ascendancy.

Eze’s effort was saved before Cody Gakpo and Sarr both got the job done, but new Palace signing Borna Sosa hit the bar and Dominik Szoboszlai kept Liverpool alive before up stepped substitute Devenny, who struck a bullet past Alisson to seal Palace’s win.