2025-26 Premier League Season began with an afternoon where Liverpool both impressed and frustrated their fans. The champions never trailed in Sunday’s FA Community Shield match, yet it was Crystal Palace who lifted the trophy after a 2-2 draw and a 3-2 win in the penalty shootout at Wembley.
This was the second time in just a few months that Liverpool left London empty-handed, following their 2-1 loss to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final in March. For Arne Slot’s side, there were some positives, but also important lessons to learn before starting the 2025-26 Premier League Season at home against AFC Bournemouth on Friday.
Recently, Liverpool have been making headlines for their unusual big spending in the transfer market. They have already spent over £270 million this summer, bringing in new signings like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, and Giorgi Mamardashvili, aiming to strengthen the squad for the 2025-26 Premier League Season.
Some of this money has been recovered through the sales of Darwin Núñez to Al Hilal and Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich. Other departures include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jarell Quansah, and Tyler Morton. But the match against Palace showed that the squad still needs more depth if they are to defend their title in the 2025-26 Premier League Season.
An injury to Joe Gomez meant Liverpool had no natural centre-back on the bench at Wembley. Slot has said that some players can fill in if needed, but even with their first-choice defence starting, Liverpool looked shaky. Virgil van Dijk gave away a penalty in the first half, and Ismaïla Sarr scored for Palace in the second half, issues that must be fixed before the 2025-26 Premier League Season kicks off.
“We replaced four players and sometimes you need time to adapt,” Slot said after the match. “We didn’t concede many chances today, but we still gave away two goals. There might need to be a bit of adjustment defensively before the 2025-26 Premier League Season.”
New Signings Show Promise
Liverpool started the match strongly. New striker Hugo Ekitike scored a brilliant curling goal in just the fourth minute, making a perfect start to his competitive debut. The 23-year-old French forward joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million and is expected to play a big role in the 2025-26 Premier League Season. His arrival had been overshadowed by Liverpool’s interest in Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, for whom they made a rejected £110 million bid earlier this month.
While Liverpool still want Isak, Ekitike showed he is not here to be anyone’s backup. He played with confidence, skill, and linked well with his teammates — a promising sign ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League Season. Another new arrival, Jeremie Frimpong, also scored, an impressive, if slightly lucky, goal after Palace had equalised through Jean-Philippe Mateta’s penalty.
In midfield, £100 million signing Florian Wirtz gave glimpses of why Liverpool were willing to pay so much for him, showing his creativity and quick thinking. Milos Kerkez also worked tirelessly at left-back, adding energy to the team and showing qualities that could be vital in the 2025-26 Premier League Season.
All of Liverpool’s summer signings have given fans reasons to be hopeful during pre-season. Still, if they want to defend their Premier League crown, the club may need more reinforcements before the transfer window closes on September 1 and the 2025-26 Premier League Season is in full swing.
Slot also got the chance to watch one of his potential defensive targets closely, Palace captain Marc Guéhi. The England defender is in the final year of his contract and has admirers at Anfield. But a move will depend on whether Liverpool can strike a financially suitable deal before the 2025-26 Premier League Season begins.
More Attacking Options Needed
Up front, Liverpool currently have just three senior forwards. That means the pursuit of Isak, or another attacker, will remain a priority in the final weeks of the transfer window. If they want to maintain attacking depth during the 2025-26 Premier League Season, they will need to act fast.
“After two years without big changes, we brought in a lot of new energy,” Slot said. “We have lost four starters and some key players. Some, like Trent, wanted to leave. So we had to bring players in, and that’s what we did. Now we have to make sure we are ready for the 2025-26 Premier League Season.”
If Slot is looking for a good sign ahead of the season, history might offer one. Only one of the last 14 Community Shield winners has gone on to win the Premier League in the same season. That could suggest that losing this match is not necessarily a bad omen for the 2025-26 Premier League Season.
Still, Slot knows there’s plenty of work ahead if Liverpool want to be back in this fixture next summer as champions again, and that starts with a strong start in the 2025-26 Premier League Season.
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