Slot’s new-look Liverpool under spotlight in Community Shield

Liverpool boss Arne Slot is relishing the rare chance to lift silverware in his side’s first game of the season as the new-look Premier League champions face Crystal Palace in Sunday’s Community Shield.

Despite storming to a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title last season with four games to spare, the Reds have splashed out, spending nearly £300 million ($402 million) in the transfer market.

New forwards Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, plus full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong could get their first chance to impress the Liverpool fans at Wembley.

The traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season sees the winners of the previous season’s Premier League and FA Cup face off.

“Normally you have to play numerous games before you can win something,” Slot said at his pre-match press conference.

“Now we have a chance to win something in the beginning of the season. Unfortunately, we face a very good Crystal Palace that have been very difficult to win against for us.

“They showed in the last (FA Cup) final — and even in the semi-final, by the way, as well — how difficult it is to win a one-off game against them.”

Palace are appearing in the fixture for the first time after lifting their maiden major trophy by shocking Manchester City 1-0 in May to win the FA Cup.

The Eagles’ joy has been slightly soured since as they were thrown out of the Europa League and demoted into the Conference League — the third tier of European competition — over a breach of multi-club ownership rules. US businessman John Textor owned a stake in Palace and is the majority owner of French club Lyon, who have also qualified for the Europa League.

Despite Textor since selling his shares to New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, UEFA deemed Palace failed to meet the deadline to avoid a breach.

Under UEFA multi-club ownership rules, Lyon have been allowed to keep their place in the second-tier competition of European football as they finished higher in Ligue 1 (6th) than Palace (12th) in the Premier League last season.

Palace, however, have appealed to the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

By contrast to Liverpool’s transfer bonanza, Palace have spent just £2 million on Croatian left-back Borna Sosa and a new reserve goalkeeper in Walter Benitez.

But the south London club have so far managed to keep hold of all of their prized assets despite interest from English and European giants.

Liverpool themselves are keen on Palace captain Marc Guehi, while Eberechi Eze has been linked with a move to Arsenal. Palace manager Oliver Glasner confirmed both players will start at Wembley and believes his side can aim much higher up the table this season after a slow start last year cost them a top-half finish. “We’ve started on a completely different level, with a different mindset and different standard we set last year, and this is why we can look forward to the season in a very positive way,” said Glasner.

Tributes will be paid before the match to Diogo Jota, the Liverpool forward who died in a car crash last month at the age of 28.

A “Forever 20” emblem, referencing Jota’s now-retired shirt number, will be printed on Liverpool’s shirts this season.

“Tragedy impacted us but it impacted far more his wife, children and parents,” added Slot.

“The tributes that have been done since were all very emotional and impressive.”

Crystal Palace approach clash with Liverpool facing a host of concerns — from injury troubles and underwhelming transfer activity to their pending appeal against UEFA’s decision to demote them from the Europa League.

Palace were dropped to UEFA’s third-tier Conference League last month in an alleged multi-club ownership breach because John Textor, president of Olympique Lyonnais majority owners Eagle Football Group, also had a controlling stake in Palace.

Eagle sold their stake in Palace last month, and the English club appealed against the demotion at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with the hearing set for this month.

“If you have to play in the Conference League, it feels like we have been punished,” Glasner said.

“We hope that this verdict brings us back into the Europa League because, as I said, we haven’t done anything wrong.”

Agence France-Presse