Crystal Palace will attempt to make their Community Shield debut a memorable one when they face Premier League champions Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, 2PM.
The Eagles earned their spot through May’s FA Cup triumph, which was their first major trophy.
Palace manager Oliver Glasner will draw confidence from his side’s strong Wembley record, having won four of their last six matches at the national stadium as a neutral venue.
Recent history suggests FA Cup winners perform well in this fixture, claiming seven of the past nine Community Shields.
Palace have also kept hold of key players Eberechi Eze and captain Marc Guéhi during the summer window, maintaining the core that delivered cup glory.
Liverpool arrive as heavy favourites after a busy transfer window that brought in Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez. The new signings will be eager to collect early silverware for Jürgen Klopp’s side.
This marks Liverpool’s 25th Community Shield appearance as they chase a 17th victory. However, their recent record in this fixture tells a different story with just one win from their last six attempts when appearing as league champions.
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Liverpool v Crystal Palace – Recent H2H
The head-to-head record heavily favours Liverpool, who’ve won 12 of the past 16 competitive meetings. But Palace hold a slight edge in cup competitions, losing only two of their last six knockout encounters with the Reds.
Key players to watch
Eze will be Palace’s main threat after scoring the FA Cup final winner and netting the decisive goal in their last victory over Liverpool.
For Liverpool, record signing Wirtz will make his competitive debut hoping to extend his remarkable run of 30 club matches without defeat when scoring.
Prediction
Palace tend to play in low-scoring affairs, with four of their last five matches featuring under 2.5 goals, while Liverpool’s recent form saw both teams score in seven of their final eight games last season.
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Hence, both teams are likely to score in this clash.
