Community Shield: Why Crystal Palace defeated Liverpool – Arne Slot

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has shared his thoughts on why his team lost the 2025 Community Shield to Crystal Palace.

The match, played on Saturday, ended in a 2–2 draw after 90 minutes. It then went to a penalty shootout, where Crystal Palace came out on top.

Liverpool started the game well and even took the lead when Hugo Ekitike scored his first goal for the club. Ekitike, who recently joined Liverpool, made an impressive debut.

However, Crystal Palace responded strongly. Jean‑Philippe Mateta equalised for Palace after scoring from the penalty spot.

Despite creating several chances and showing improvement in attack compared to last season, Liverpool couldn’t hold on to their lead.

Arne Slot admitted that while his team looked better going forward, they made costly mistakes in defense. These defensive lapses allowed Palace to score twice, and that was enough to push the match into penalties.

Slot said, “We played good attacking football, much better than last season, but we gave away too many chances at the back. That’s something we must work on if we want to win trophies.”

The Dutch coach, who took over after Jurgen Klopp, is still adjusting to life at Liverpool.

He said the loss was disappointing but also pointed out that the team is still in the early stages of development under his leadership.

Crystal Palace, on the other hand, were solid throughout the match and showed a lot of character to come from behind.

They kept their composure during the penalty shootout and were more accurate, sealing the victory and lifting the Community Shield.

Although it was not the result Liverpool fans wanted, the game showed some promising signs, especially from new players like Ekitike.

Slot remains hopeful and believes the team will improve as the season goes on.

Liverpool will kickstart their opening game of the new  EPL season on Friday night against Bournemouth at Anfield