Crystal Palace - Liverpool 10-08-25

Community Shield – the trophy that isn’t really a trophy. But it’s the kick-off to a new season, and people flock to the screens anyway. For over 100 years, the season has started like this, with a showdown between the previous season’s league champion and the FA Cup winner. The match is played at Wembley, and you get an ever-so-small taste of what’s in store just a week later. Football-hungry people are already trembling with excitement, and what could be better than a little appetizer served on England’s biggest stage? This time it’s Liverpool and Crystal Palace who will settle the shield. Two teams that impressed many last year, and who have proven several times that they knew where the goal was. It’s not always easy to get a feel for the teams so early in the new season, but we’ll try, after all, there’s a match to be played at Wembley!

Crystal Palace - Giant killers

For Crystal Palace are no joke. Last year's league season was both impressive and disappointing, but the road to the FA Cup trophy was purely a display of good football. Aston Villa were knocked out in the semi-finals, while Manchester City themselves were spared in the final. Fittingly, it was the talisman, Eze, who was the tipping point. And Crystal Palace have a couple of such contributors who can gag even the best teams. All Eze, Sarr and Mateta are players of very high calibre, and if you meet them on the right day you will quickly get a lesson in effective football.

There have not been any big headlines for Palace so far this transfer window. The team lacks some pieces to take a step up to the top half of the table, while it is crucial that the important contributors do not go anywhere. If we ignore the offensive guys we have visited, the head of defense, Guehi, is on everyone's lips. The Briton is highly desired in Liverpool, and if he were to decide to leave, they would have to go out and hunt for reinforcements. It is not easy to build an effective team for these crews who are around the middle of the table. The biggest profiles often want to find a bigger club, and if they do not manage to gain a foothold at the top quite immediately, they will have to start all over again. Crystal Palace is therefore in for some very interesting weeks.

The previous meeting with Liverpool ended 1-1 in what was the last game of last season. It is difficult to read too much into that particular game, as Liverpool were already champions. But we should note that Palace often perform well against the best. In this sense, the opportunity is present on Sunday at Wembley.

Liverpool – The season to hold on to hegemony

For Liverpool is on track. The warm-up matches have shown that they still know where the goal is, and the new signings seem to be settling in. It is clear that new relationships must be formed, and it is not done in a flash to understand the thoughts and wishes of a new coach. However, there are things that may indicate that this may work for Slots menn.

Milos Kerkez has been brought in as a new left-back. Kerkez is Hungarian, and plays alongside his compatriot, Szoboszlai, on the Hungarian national team. The young powerhouse also has the necessary experience from the Premier League. Frimpong and Wirtz are former teammates, and already have a good relationship. The former also joins a team where the entire Dutch backbone is already present. All these small and large connections help players in the starting phase, and it will always be an advantage to have compatriots at your disposal in a new club. Initially, it may seem like solid and well-considered transfers.

Liverpool are embarking on a new season without Diaz, Trent and Jota. It is clear that this can be felt. It is not just for Ekitike and Wirtz to cover for what Diaz and Jota delivered offensively on the pitch. And of course those who manage and look after at Anfield know this. They are long behind Isak at the time of writing, and the question is whether this transfer must also take place if they are to be able to say that they are stronger compared to last season. Darwin Nunez is also on his way to Al Hilal, not that it will necessarily be too noticeable for the Reds.

The warm-up matches for the reigning champions have been fast-paced. Many have been given minutes on the pitch, and the connections have been mediocre. This is how it usually is at this stage of the season. What will be interesting on Sunday is to see how Slot thinks the team should look. How will the midfield situation be resolved, among other things? There are many on the sidelines now, and a couple of men who would have liked to start will have to show up to warm the bench. Assuming that Salah, Gakpo and Ekitike start at the top, either Wirtz, Szoboszlai or Mac Allister will have to start on the sidelines. Coach Arne Slot has a few tough decisions to make.

What must be most alarming so far is that too much is being allowed to happen. You are completely dependent on being able to start with van Dijk and Konate in central defence to give the guys up front the necessary security. We saw it last time against Bilbao that the chances were many against, and during the two training matches it revealed a need for perhaps both increased width, and a slightly tighter structure. This may resolve itself when things get serious, but if both Kerkez and Frimpong are intended to start, there will be untested relationships for a while. This can create situations when there is a little extra wind blowing around the ears in defence.

Conclusion – A glorified practice match

The importance of the match is probably not all that big. It is a great opportunity to taste the seriousness, and it is an opportunity to play your best men. Especially for Liverpool, there are several new faces who will find their place, and it is not at all certain that all of them will hit the ground running , as they say over there. We will still assume that the quality of these purchases will shine through, well helped by both compatriots and driven Premier League profiles. Maybe we will get some minutes from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha too? The boy is shining like the sun at the moment.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, will probably take this opportunity for all it's worth. It tastes good to beat both Manchester City and Liverpool, and thus secure two additions to the clubhouse's bragging rights. We won't be at all surprised if Eze once again proves to be the quality player we know him to be.

Overall, we think we're in for a fairly open and entertaining affair. Both teams are probably full of training, and the personal mistakes will be more now than they will be when the season is well underway. It's not life and death either, so maybe it leads to a showdown worth watching between two attacking teams? We hope so, and in light of Liverpool's new signings, we think both teams will end up on the scoresheet. The Reds will have to accept being favorites, but if you ask me, the match will be more open than the odds suggest. We're going that way here, in the direction of goals both ways, so you can consider whether to include the fact that we get at least three goals in total. Not always the case in these games, but given the two teams, and somewhat untested constellations, it's not impossible.

Goals from Eze and the young Rio? We'll see, but it almost seems like both are in the cards. Enjoy the game, and be glad that the ball is rolling at the top level in England again! Next weekend we'll be back with texts from the Premier League.

England at 16:00: Crystal Palace - Liverpool: Both teams to score (1.75)

Alternative game

England at 16:00: Crystal Palace - Liverpool: Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score (2.15)

England at 16:00: Crystal Palace - Liverpool: Assist by M. Salah (3.40)