Digging Deeper Into Liverpool’s Loss To Crystal Palace In The Community Shield
It started out so well for Liverpool, but the Reds faded badly before ultimately losing out on penalties. Hugo Ekitike fired the Reds in front early on, and Jeremie Frimpong’s cross-turned-shot drifted into the net to give Liverpool the lead a second time after Crystal Palace had equalized from the penalty spot. Liverpool had some good opportunities early on after the break, but it was Crystal Palace who carved up the Reds in transition more often than not as the second half progressed. They scored a second after some poor defensive play from Liverpool, and managed to convert three of five penalties during the shootout while the Reds cold only put in two from the spot. While it’s always fun to watch Liverpool win on the scoreboard, losing a glorified friendly and having no one be forced off with a major injuries (assuming Kerkez is ok) counts as a win in my book.
Below, we take a look at some winners and losers on the night, and attempt to disentangle narrative from fact.
Winners
Booing God Save the King
Always a good idea to remind the world of broken economic policies and social injustice.
Scoring on 20:20
Whether Jeremie Frimpong meant it or not (he didn’t), his lofted ball drifted over the head of Dean Henderson and into the net at 20 minutes and 20 seconds as the traveling Kop were singing the Diogo Jota sign.
Ryan Gravenberch
Gravy was left out of the squad after his partner gave birth to their first child last night. Congrats to the new mother and father! It also means that Gravenberch will have at least two matches he will not feature in this season as he is suspended for the first Premier League match due to his DOGSO red card in the last match of last season. Sitting out two games back to back must feel like six months of rest for Gravy.
Hugo Ekitike
The French striker didn’t take long to announce himself, scoring a slick goal just four minutes into the match after making a perfectly timed run to receive a great through ball from Florian Wirtz before combining with the midfielder again before cutting inside past a player and driving an inch-perfect low shot into the far corner. He also showed supreme confidence and sublime skill with some tasty footwork and flicks to combine with his teammates, and his movement was really smart. Ekitike did miss a couple of additional chances in the box, but there is a lot to be excited about.
Florian Wirtz
Liverpool’s marquee signing was literally everywhere on the pitch, doing a little bit of everything and making it all look effortless. He made 7 ball recoveries and progressed the ball from deeper positions. Higher up the pitch, his vision, passing, and footwork were on full display. He created four chances, including providing the assist for Hugo Ekitike’s goal.
One question some had about Wirtz was his smaller stature, but Liverpool’s new number 7 showed little trouble with some of the physical play he encountered, showing great strength to hold players off on several occasions.
Alisson Becker
After missing over a week of preseason to be with his wife in Brazil when she had a surgery, it was somewhat surprising to see Alisson in net. He proved he has not missed a beat, however, making several top-shelf saves, including stuffing a couple of 1v1 opportunities. Alisson also made two saves during the penalty shootout, which really should have been enough.
Losing the Community Shield for the Greater Good
A bit tongue and cheek, but only one team who won the Community Shield went on to win the Premier League that season.
Losers
Crystal Palace Supporters Interrupting the Minute of Silence
Absolute nonsense from a small group of Crystal Palace supporters yelling out to ruin the minute of silence for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva. That drew a chorus of boos from Liverpool supporters, and the referee blew the whistle early.
Mohamed Salah
It was a quiet day for Salah, especially in the first half. The Egyptian King struggled to get involved with the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike seeing much more of the ball. When Salah did start to see more of the ball in the second half, he failed to do much with it. He was 0 for 6 on duels and finished with 1 shot and 0 chances created. He only had 5 touches in the Crystal Palace box of his 26 total touches in the match. Salah’s frustration was apparent after losing the ball in the second half, earning a rare yellow card for a foul rather than for taking his shirt off after scoring. Mo capped things off by skying his second penalty in a row this preseason.
Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool’s captain was largely solid per usual, but made two decisions that led directly to Crystal Palace goals. Big Virg was a half beat too slow as he attempted to tackle the ball away from Ismael Sarr at the top of the box, conceding a penalty. He also made the decision to step out to Adam Wharton, leaving Sarr free to run in behind and receive a pass before knocking in his 1v1 chance against Alison.
Penalty Takers
Woof, that was bad. Liverpool only converted two of their five penalties, while Crystal Palace also had two attempts saved. Salah sent his well over the bar while Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott saw their efforts saved.
Dissecting the Narrative
Liverpool have spent over £250 million this summer on transfers to bring in elite talent in both the attack and defense after winning the Premier League last season. Crystal Palace have spent a total of £2 million after finishing 12th last season. On paper, this semi-competitive match should have been a walk in the park for the Reds.
The reality of the matter is Liverpool are still in the midst of some major transitions as new players get bedded into starting roles. Sure, the pedigree is undeniable for these players, but as we saw it takes time for the two new fullbacks to get a firm handle on spacing and deciding when to go and when to stay, and make sure the communication across the defense and midfield is clear. An attack that has largely revolved around Mohamed Salah has some fancy new pieces in Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, but the dynamic between the players and how the ball is being moved is still a work in progress. There were definitely some very bright passaged of play, but it just goes to show that Liverpool still have plenty of strides to take to reach their expected heights.
What Happens Next
Liverpool will have a shorter week to finalize preseason preparations before kicking off their Premier League title defense. The Reds will host Bournemouth for the first match of league play next Friday. The season is here, y’all!
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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