FA Community Shield: Crystal Palace embark on new journey against Premier League champions Liverpool after historic FA Cup final triumph
Published 08/08/2025 at 13:00 GMT+1
Ahead of the FA Community Shield, TNT Sports takes a look at Crystal Palace's FA Cup final triumph and what the new season could bring. At this stage in the window, The Eagles have managed to keep hold of many of their star players from the victory over Manchester City. However, they have endured a roller-coaster summer, and are still awaiting a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Glasner 'proud' to give fans 'moment for life' with FA Cup victory
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Wembley shook; it was beautiful, and now Crystal Palace will return to the home of English football to face Liverpool in the FA Community Shield.
Eagles fans may have been forced to suffer through a mind-numbingly frustrating summer of backstage politics and UEFA board meetings, but nobody can take last season’s 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final away from them.
One of the many prizes they received for that remarkable win over Pep Guardiola’s side was a first-ever appearance in the season opener, where they will take on the Premier League champions.
The FA Community Shield may be a friendly in the eyes of some, but to many Palace fans, it will be another opportunity to add to their historically sparse trophy cabinet.
To do that, they will have to overcome another of English football’s behemoths and their host of exciting summer signings.
Liverpool have added the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Hugo Ekitike, among others, to their ranks this summer, suggesting that their squad could be even stronger than it was last term.
Ahead of another mouth-watering trip to Wembley for The Red and Blue Army, TNT Sports takes a closer look at the FA Cup holders.
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‘We did our homework’ - Henderson breaks down penalty save as Palace win FA Cup
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Palace’s finest hour
Eberechi Eze’s delightful finish inspired Oliver Glasner’s side to victory in the FA Cup final last May, sparking jubilant and in some cases, deeply emotional scenes in the Palace end.
To many, it was the culmination of a lifelong journey, a rare moment of respite after a decade of mid-table finishes and a lifetime of missed opportunities.
Sure, Palace had to ride their luck at times against City. Dean Henderson could, and probably should, have been sent off for a first-half handball.
Fortunately for Palace, individual refereeing decisions cannot be taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the England keeper went on to make a crucial penalty save to keep the score at 1-0.
Despite mounting City pressure in the second half, the Palace players held on, avenging their two previous FA Cup final defeats and securing the first major trophy in the club’s history.
There were countless stories in the Palace crowd that day, parents and children rejoicing together, siblings sobbing in each other's arms.
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‘Flying start’ - Eze stuns Man City inside eight minutes at the Etihad
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What will Palace bring to the Community Shield?
In an era where the so-called ‘Big Six’ have dominated the Premier League and FA Cup, it has become increasingly rare to see a community-first club compete in the FA Community Shield.
Not only will Palace’s inclusion bring some added enthusiasm and novelty to the occasion, but it will also give two of the country's most committed fan bases a chance to bring a party atmosphere to Wembley Stadium.
The teams contested a thoroughly entertaining 1-1 draw on the final day of the 2024/25 Premier League season, so neutrals can look ahead to another highly-watchable encounter on Sunday afternoon.
It could also give Palace fans a first look at their two new summer signings: Borna Sosa and Walter Benitez.
Most importantly for Palace fans, the match will act as a palate cleanser after a summer that has seen their place in this season’s UEFA Europa League thrown into serious doubt.
For those who have taken a break from the beautiful game over the last few months, Palace are currently set to compete in the UEFA Conference League due to a breach of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
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The season ahead
UEFA’s decision to demote Palace to the Conference League may be overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it has still tainted what could otherwise be seen as a successful summer for the South Londoners.
Palace struggled at the start of last term for several reasons: a disrupted pre-season, injuries, and the departure of a key player in the form of Ballon d’Or nominee Michael Olise.
They have not been prolific in the transfer market this time around, but their star-studded core of Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eze, Adam Wharton, and Marc Guehi are all still at the club with less than a month of the summer window remaining.
Many Palace fans believe that the quartet could make an impact in any starting XI outside of the traditional top six, and some even think they are good enough to reach the very highest level.
Glasner’s squad have spent this summer in Austria instead of repeating the 2024 tour of the USA.
They are also closer to full strength than they were 12 months ago, with the exception of Eddie Nketiah, who has suffered a hamstring injury after finding his feet at Selhurst Park during the closing stages of last season.
If Palace hit the ground running and replicate their form from the second half of the last two seasons, then their FA Cup triumph could be the start of their journey, rather than the end.
Stream the Premier League, Serie A, Men’s and Women’s FA Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and more on TNT Sports and discovery+
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