For Liverpool, the Community Shield defeat was a stark reminder: winning the Premier League leaves no room for complacency.
The Reds were beaten by Crystal Palace on penalties after a 2-2 draw at Wembley on Sunday.
But rather than panic, manager Arne Slot sees the Wembley loss as a crucial early lesson — one that could galvanise the Reds ahead of their title defence.
New signings Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Frimpong both found the net, while Milos Kerkez and Florian Wirtz also made their competitive debuts, giving Slot an early look at how his summer recruits might fit in.
Palace’s high-tempo, direct approach exposed vulnerabilities — the kind of challenge Slot expects every opponent to bring against the champions.
His message was clear: Liverpool must tighten up defensively and embrace the reality of having a target on their backs.
“The main thing is not to concede chances,” Slot said. “Against Bilbao we hardly conceded a chance. If you want to win something, you cannot concede two goals every game.”
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Slot knows even mid-table sides can trouble champions — and sees that as a timely warning. With the Premier League opener looming, the setback at Wembley could harden his team for the battles ahead.
Now, the challenge is to turn defeat into drive, integrate the new faces seamlessly, and keep the hunger sharp. If Liverpool channel this early adversity into resilience and consistency, their title defence might start stronger than the scoreboard at Wembley suggests.
The real test begins on Friday night, when Bournemouth arrive at Anfield — and the champions will need to show they’ve already learned their first lesson of the season.
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