Trending 
Liverpool manager Arne Slot is eager to seize the opportunity to claim silverware in his very first competitive match in charge, as the reigning Premier League champions take on Crystal Palace in Sunday’s Community Shield.
The Reds, who sealed a record-equalling 20th English top-flight crown last season with four matches to spare, have invested heavily during the summer, spending close to £300 million on new talent. Among the arrivals are forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, along with full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, all of whom could make their debut in front of the Liverpool faithful at Wembley.
The annual fixture pits the winners of the Premier League against the FA Cup holders. Slot, speaking ahead of the clash, highlighted the rare chance to win a trophy so early in the campaign, though he acknowledged the challenge posed by Palace.
“Usually you need to play a lot of games before there’s a prize to win,” said Slot. “Now we have the chance to lift something straight away. Unfortunately for us, Crystal Palace have proven very difficult opponents, as they showed in the FA Cup final and even the semi-final last season.”
Palace are featuring in the Community Shield for the first time after claiming their maiden major honour in May, stunning Manchester City 1-0 to lift the FA Cup. However, their celebrations were tempered when they were expelled from the Europa League and relegated to the third-tier UEFA Conference League due to a breach of multi-club ownership regulations.
The issue arose from former shareholder John Textor’s involvement in both Palace and French side Lyon, who also qualified for the Europa League. Although Textor has since sold his stake to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, UEFA ruled that Palace had failed to meet the compliance deadline. Lyon were allowed to keep their Europa League place after finishing sixth in Ligue 1, ahead of Palace’s 12th-place Premier League finish. The south London club has appealed the ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Unlike Liverpool’s big-spending summer, Palace have made only modest additions, signing Croatian left-back Borna Sosa for £2 million and goalkeeper Walter Benitez as cover. Importantly, they have so far resisted approaches for key players, including captain Marc Guehi — a reported Liverpool target — and Eberechi Eze, who has been linked with Arsenal. Manager Oliver Glasner confirmed both will start at Wembley and expressed confidence about the season ahead.
“We’ve started on a much higher level compared to last year, with a new mindset and higher standards,” said Glasner. “That’s why we can look forward to the season positively.”
Before kick-off, tributes will be paid to Liverpool forward Diogo Jota, who tragically died in a car accident last month aged 28. The club will honour him throughout the season with a “Forever 20” emblem — in reference to his now-retired shirt number — printed on their shirts.
“His loss has deeply affected us, but far more so his wife, children and parents,” said Slot. “The tributes we’ve seen have been emotional and deeply moving.”
