As it is the tradition, Wembley again is the ground for the first competitive game of the elite English footballing calendar, as FA Cup winners Crystal Palace take on Premier League champions Liverpool for the 2025 Community Shield Sunday.
Palace will make their maiden appearance in the Community Shield courtesy of claiming their first-ever major trophy back in May. History is firmly against them in their quest to add more silverware given none of the last four Community Shield debutants managed to win it, but hope should spring eternal for Palace, who have managed to hang onto Eberechi Eze and captain Marc Guéhi so far in the transfer window.
They’ve got a mightily good record at Wembley too, winning four of their last six matches at this ground when it served as neutral territory which, when coupled with the fact the previous season’s FA Cup winners have won seven of the last nine Community Shields, should boost morale.
Liverpool are all too familiar with this setting, competing in their 25th Community Shield match and hunting down a 17th triumph. They’re overwhelming favourites to do so after the transfer window they’ve had, notably securing the services of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, and Milos Kerkez.
Those fresh faces will be keen to bring home some early season silverware for the Reds, who did lose at this ground in last season’s EFL Cup final, but have never lost twice at Wembley in the same calendar year before.
History suggests that could change here though as Liverpool have won the Community Shield just once in their last six attempts when featuring as league champions
