Football Daily - Crystal Palace stun Liverpool to win the Community Shield

Episode Date: August 10, 2025

Ben Haines is joined by Luke Edwards and Don Hutchison to break down Crystal Palace’s shock Community Shield win over Liverpool. The team discuss what the result means for Oliver Glasner’s side ahead of the new Premier League season, the mood around Palace’s UEFA appeal, and how Liverpool’s summer signings Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike are bedding in. They also explore the latest twist in Liverpool’s pursuit of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space, and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. Ever feel like car shopping is designed to make your second guess yourself? Is this a good price? Am I making the right choice? With car gurus, you don't have to wonder. They have hundreds of thousands of cars from top-rated dealers and advanced search tools, deal ratings and price history.

So you know a great deal when you see one. That's c-ar-G-U-R-U-S.ca.cair-Gurus.cai.a. everybody and welcome along to the Football Daily podcast. The first trophy of the season is done and dusted after waiting 119 years for a bit of silver where Crystal Palace have their second in a matter of months. They beat Liverpool 3-2 on penalties in the Community Shield after it finished two all in normal time.

We'll get into what that tells us about both sides heading into the new campaign. The latest twists in Liverpool's chase for Alexander Ezek and a really frustrating bit of European news for Palace fans. And with me today, to break it all down, Luke Edwards and Don Hutchison, how are we, gents? Evening. I'm very well, Ben. Very well.

I'm pumped for the new season. Don, I've got to tell you this great story to start. But given that we're going to talk about Alexandria, Zach, a little bit later on, Luke and I were at the Women's Euros this summer. And we'd been invited to go to a social function. And I was on my way in. I was a little bit late. And I could see this bald man.

pacing aggressively outside of the function. I thought, what on earth are they doing? It turns out it was just, Luke Edwards sitting there doing a bit of transfer news, screaming down the phone, trying to get things done, yelling down the phone. I was shouting, I was shouting at someone down the phone. I can't repeat what I was saying.

Wow. But I would like to apologise to the people of the telegraph sports desk for the colourful language that may have been used on that particular occasion. But what I love, Luke, is that is just how seriously it's being taken this summer. I mean, it's a summer of incredibly exciting transfer rumours. And we will get stuck into, particularly Alexander Isaac's transfer, a little bit later on. But let's start with the community shield.

Crystal Palace running out through two winners on penalties after a tall draw in normal time. Don, what did you make of it? I thought Palace deserved it. I thought they looked stronger. I thought they looked fitter. I thought Liverpool looked really sharp in moments and trying to bed new players in. I thought Ecotique's goal was a typical Ecotique goal, really, sort of drifting off the left-hand side. A couple of lovely touches.

Floryon Verts was the player that got me off. The edge of my seat today. I thought some of his won touches and his awareness and he always plays checking his shoulder. He's always wanting to play a forward pass, very creative. I thought he was exceptional for about 40 minutes. Then just shy of, or just over at the hour mark, I thought Palace got control of the game, even though they were behind for the second time. And they looked fitter.

And in truth, once it went to penalties, a bit of a lottery. but how can you not love Palace a story? How can you not love them? They're one of these teams where you just go, they've had it hard for a long time. And now it's their second major trophy in the matter of like a few months. It's like they play and they run really hard for their fans

and they fans do exactly the same thing. There are a team, I think, who are just hard not to like. I really like watching them. I think they really work hard for the badge on the front and the name on the back of the shirt and they were a pleasure to watch and I thought I deserved their win today.

Were you surprised by that momentum shift on because it felt very significant the way that the game ebbed and flowed towards Palace. I think what I told you about Liverpool is they're slightly behind in terms of bedding players into a team and a system. Once they get Tiki come off, they sort of tried to gamble with Florian Verter's a false nine, and you will see that and you will be excellent in that sort of position.

But today I thought in the sun at Wembley, I thought it was a bit too much. I played in the game. I played in the game in 92. It brought back memories of playing in the charity shielders it was at the time against Leeds, and we lost four three playing for Liverpool. Eric Cantonar scored a hat-trick. I can remember at Wembley, it was just hard work.

It was like, I know I'm not fully fit. And every single pro that'll tell you, and it'll happen for decades, I'm pretty sure of it, you'll go into that first game of the Premier League or any league or any league in England and you'll get through the first game and you'll think, how did I get through that? Because I'm nowhere near 100%. Then the second game comes, the third game comes, and then that's the time. really feel 100% fit. So taking nothing away from Palace,

I thought Liverpool toiled in the second half and they looked a little bit laboured. On the palace front, Luke, so much to enjoy in there. More Dean Henderson Heroics. But on top of that, you've got a player like Justin de Venny coming onto the pitch,

barely getting a chance to touch the ball, and then hammers his penalty home. I mean, it's a lovely story, as Don said. The whole Crystal Palace story is lovely. And I've been guilty in the past of asking the rive provocative question, what was the point of Crystal Palace, because they never won anything.

They just bobbed around in mid-table and stayed up every year, but never got into Europe. Well, they've ran those words back down my throat and absolutely delighted that they have done because the FA Cup success last season was everything we want from the FA Cup, everything that makes the FA Cup magical,

their first major trophy. And I'm just thrilled for them today as well because it's been a tough summer. They haven't had the sort of transfer business that they want. um that dominate as we all know in the modern football fan it's all transfers transfers transfers in june and july it drives me absolutely mad but once the football started again as don has just said they've got a team they can be really really proud of i will caveat this with one thing i'm not buying the community shield as a major trophy i blame jose marino for that

uh he started all that nonsense that suddenly it was a trophy worth uh worth you know alongside the f a cup and the league cup it's not it's a preseason trophy for me but what a great day out for them again the fact you could tell the fans really cared about it and what an exciting team they have what an enjoyable team to watch Don said again we'll play for that badge we'll run all day great manager in Oliver Glasner

done a brilliant job and I just hope you know the hope this isn't the highlight for them because I think there are a few worrying times to come the transfer window is still open we're still going to be talking about the next two or three weeks about Mark Gahey and Ezee aren't we

ESE being linked heavily with Arsenal has the release clause. Gahey would have gone into that game this morning. Seems to be quite a theme of Liverpool's summer. A lot of noise about Liverpool wanted to sign Mark Gahey as well. There's a picture before the game of Arna Slot, greeting him in the tunnel and Virgil Van Dyke looking a bit awkward at the exchange, as does Mark Gahey, to be fair. So I just hope they can keep this team together and as to it.

That's what Glasner wants. They've got the big court case coming up tomorrow. Hopefully they get some, you know, the verdict coming tomorrow, hopefully, on Monday, I should say, hopefully they should, you know, get some good news there. But it's been a really, really good time for Crystal Palace. I just hope that this isn't the end of the good times, and they start getting picked off, lose those players, and hopefully they get in the European competition.

He just couldn't let them have that bit of glory, could he? He just couldn't let them have the glory by taking away the charity shields and it's not a major trophy. Do you know what? I will make sure, because I can tell there will be Crystal Palace fans that are listening to this on their commute on the way to work with steam coming out of their earwood. Yeah, don't worry, guys.

Don't up me and Ben, just out Luke in. It's not a major trophy. I'm going to go to town on this later on. We will make sure we bring this back around and get stuck right into that with Luke Edwards. It's a little bit later on. Let's bring in Dan Cook, probably better known as HLTCO on social media,

but was at the game today. How are you, Dan? Yeah, I'm not too bad, mate. I'm very, very happy. Obviously, never been in the community shield before. One for one, winning a shoeout like that. It's a very, very pleasant feeling, I have to say. Right. So, Dan, I promised at the beginning of the show, we had a little bit of chatter between us that whether the Community Shield could be treated as a major trophy or not.

But I'm assuming as a Palace fan, you are delighted to treat it as a major trophy after that. Well, I think, you know, the major trophy tag is one that's always going to be looked at with a bit of a scoff from certain individuals. But, you know, from a palace fan's point of view, as I say, having never been in it and having won our first ever major trophy, what, back in May, you know, taking part in it, going up against a side. as big as Liverpool and as good as Liverpool. You've got to take it really. Coming from behind very early on, getting to a shootout and winning it in the fashion we did. I mean, I just want to say as well,

Justin Devaney, 21 years old, comes off the bench, having had very little in the way of first-name experience and roofing the penalty to win it in front of the Liverpool fans. Just a massive moment for him and one that makes me incredibly proud of him, to be fair. Have you had a chance to see a celebration yet, Dan? I've seen the penalty itself.

I haven't seen the celebration. What does he do with the celebration? look like the coolest, calmest man in the place, didn't lose his head, totally backed himself, absolutely brilliant. And it's lovely to see that level of confidence. I wondered, how did it feel today going into Wembley having won a trophy a few months ago? Was there a feeling going in there today like, okay, we know how this works, we know how to get over the line, there is a chance we'll do it? Well, it is interesting actually, because I was speaking to Gordon Smart on Five Live this morning, funny enough. And he said to me, you know, which Liverpool

football players are you most worried about coming up against? Because obviously they've done a great deal at business over the summer and they've brought in some fantastic players. And I said, you know, the way that Oliver Glasner has built this team over the last 12 to 18 months has been a case of us focusing on ourselves first and foremost and, you know, focusing on what we can do. And that sort of sure us through this FA Cup run and sure us through against Manchester City in the final. So it was very much the same sort of job today. You know, obviously you can look at the quality that they've got in Salah andverts and all sorts of different players, particularly in the attacking third. I think Palace, under Oliver Glasner, are a different beast because

we don't play dominating football, we play counter-attacking football, we play it very well. You know, I don't think we necessarily got our second gear for most of today, and yet we've managed to come from behind twice, get ourselves back to level, and then take it to a shootout and win it. I mean, Dean Anderson, again, made two penalty saves. I just feel as though this group mentality-wise are incredible and not like anything we've ever had at Palace before to be honest. Mark, it's Luke Edwards here. Absolutely delighted for, particularly the FA Cup. I mean, just just a great, as I said at the top of the show, everything the FA Cup and all its romanticism is built on. How do you feel this summer has gone for you so far? Because often

you're coming off that massive high, first major trophy win, just a brilliant, brilliant story. You bask in that glow probably all through May and into the start of June. How are you feeling about things now, I'm probably talking mainly about the lack of transfers, incoming and the doubts about players leaving still? Well, I think you have to caveat with the uncertainty over the UAFA conference and the Europa League and the ongoing case, which I believe we're getting a verdict on from cast at 9am tomorrow because, you know, it shouldn't make that much of a difference to your summer business, but it undeniably has because we've been sort of preoccupied with the ongoing appeal.

It has taken some of the shine of it, I have to say. You know, as a fan of a club who'd never won anything before, you wanted to be able to sit in your garden and then just soak up the sun and have a few beers and enjoy the fact that we've won the FA Cup all summer. And instead, I think pretty much every palace fan has turned into a bit of a mini-lawyer, you know, talking about March and red tape

and just, you know, blind trusts and different legal jargon. And it has sort of taken a bit of a gleam of it, but then the daylight, going up against the side as great as Liverpool are, and holding our own. You know, I appreciate it didn't have. the full extra time because it went straight to pens and you know, you can argue we've fallen behind to us but we've still stayed in the game and ended up winning it

and I think really for Palace fans these are Halcy and Bays. I'm not expecting it to carry on and I think we're just riding away for all its worth at a moment to be honest. Dan, I was listening to you earlier on today speaking to, I think it might have been John Murray wasn't John Murray speaking to earlier on but you were saying that double-edged this decision tomorrow in that on the one hand the quality of squad that you've got

if you went into the conference league there's an opportunity for you to go and have a go at that competition. Equally, in the Europa League, there's a sort of sides that you've always dreamed of Palace facing in competitive fixtures. What does your gut say is going to happen tomorrow? And will you find yourself, if it is the Conference League, will you feel deflated? I think I may feel deflated,

and I think other Palace fans may feel deflated for 12 to 24 hours. I mean, the thing is, if you'd have given us the Conference League at the start of last season, around of. You know, Polish fans have never had it before. So the prospect of us going into a European competition for a long phase and potentially going deep into it was something that we could only have dreamed of. But obviously, if you win the most prestigious Domestic Cup competition on Earth,

carrot for that and the reward for that is winning the, to get into the Europa League. And that is something that has really sort of had a be in our bonnet all summer long. In terms of my confidence of us winning this appeal tomorrow, I'd put it somewhere between 30 and 40%. Really? That low. That low. Well, the way I look at it is, we've had no real encouragement, shall we say, from UEFA or from the powers that be, that there's been a drive to get us into this competition. I would say that in terms of the mechanisms of it, if you look at the multi-club ownership rules and you look at it with a completely fair view, technically the first test that UEFA and Cass put in place to judge which club in a multi-club ownership model

should be in the competition is, has that club won their place via sporting merit? Now, Crystal Palace won their place in the Europa League because they won the FA Cup. Leon won their place in the Europa League because PSG won the French Cup final and the team that they were playing didn't. Had that team won the French Cup final, Leon would have been in the UEFA conference. Technically, they haven't won their place in the Europa League on sporting merit. So I think even if we are a judge to be in a multi-club model, which I think is an ambiguous thing anyway because of, you know,

the well-worn arguments that have run across this summer, you could still make a very solid case to suggest that Pallas are the only club in that multi-club model that have won our position in this competition via sporting merit. So that gives me a degree of confidence, whether or not that wins that in court, I don't know. But as I say, I'm probably 30 to 40% of this. stage. I love what you said earlier on about everyone naturally becoming an elite level legal mind as soon as you realise that you're somehow going to have your entire summer dominated by this. Do you reckon there's an element of one way or another, Palestine is just wanting this

to be done so they can get on with either getting excited or thinking about the next three to four months, what that's going to look like, at least from a league phase point of view, whatever European competition they're in? Absolutely. I think even if you look at this this cash appeal, you know, they scheduled it for Friday last week, or Friday at the end of this week, sorry, and the appeal itself is going to have a verdict on Monday. Quite why they couldn't schedule that for Tuesday or Wednesday and give us a verdict before the weekend and the community shield and everything else. I don't know. For us, we do just want to be able to get on with it and we want to square it away. I have no doubt that we

have a squad strong enough to get past. I would imagine it will be Frederickstad if we are kept in the way for conference. lost their first leg of their Europa League qualifier to Mitcheland, three one at home. So they would have to overturn that away from home to get through to the Europa League, thus knocking Michelang into the UAFA conference and making them our opponents. But I mean, I was talking to a Fredericstad fan the other day, and they were 70 pro three or four years ago. You know, and I'm always uncomfortable with the assumption that Palace is some sort of behemoth,

but the reality is that we've been in the Premier League 13 years now. And, you know, the money spent on our squad and the quality of it is such that you would expect us to get through fairly easily against the side of that quality. I think either way, we're going to have a European group stage. You would just rather, I think, from a palace perspective, that it was the Europa League rather than the conference. Dan, thanks so much for joining us. And I hope you are able to actually sleep tonight with the verdict sort of coming at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. Well, I think I'll have a few beers and I'll see how I get on. It might help me out.

Thanks, Dan. Take care. No worries. Thank you. who you can find on social media as HLTCO. Well, let's get the thoughts of palace keeper, Dean Henderson now. No, it was incredible. The lads were phenomenal throughout and so proud of the club.

Obviously, we were underdogs again today, but they stuck to the plan, and we got ourselves back into the game and then a magical time in penalty shootout. So I thought the lads had so much courage, especially Justin Devaney, stepping up, 21 years old. And, yeah, he delivered. So talk to me about preparation for penitial. penalties because now so much effort seems to be going into it. Where were your notes? Because they weren't on a water bottle, were they?

No, they weren't. They were in my head. So we went through it this morning. We sat down for an hour and went through everything. So every Liverpool player you've got in your life? I think you have to. And then a lot of the lads that were probably key penalty takers. Well, some of them that were key penalty takers end up leaving the pitch.

And then other people come in. Sometimes you don't have the home. work on them guys and I mean it's a lottery but you've got to believe you've got to believe in your head you're going to go the right way and give yourself an opportunity to save it and be honest do you enjoy them I love them yeah I love them I think any goalkeeper that says they don't enjoy them I'd question it because I don't feel like you've got anything to lose if the penalties are well struck unfortunately it's difficult to save and all you can do is give yourself the best chance and believe you're going to save it and thankfully today that happened phenomenal again in the

out and he has this lovely way. You spoke a little bit earlier on about that striker's confidence are almost kind of bordering on arrogance. It's that supreme confidence. You see that as well with Henderson, don't you? Yeah, you see that. He reminds me of Jordan Pickford.

They're both ultra-confident and their own ability. He is a fantastic goalkeeper Henderson. I think Pallas are a brilliant story because I think when you watch them and I've commented them quite a few times over the years, every night and again a team throws up a spectacular season and you try and work out which is your favorite player and Pallas seem to have about six of them

whether you're a Henderson fan, whether you're a Munoz fan, whether you're a Wharton fan, a Gehi fan, a Eza fan, a Mateta fan, a Saar fan. They've just got this ability and listening to the, you know, what's going to happen to their outcome.

If they did end up in the conference, they'd be one of the favourites to win it. The trouble is, I think, for Oliver Glasner, he's got to make sure because everyone talks about the window and no one really talks about players staying in a window everyone thinks the transfer windows about shining new toys

and making sure you get new signings and brand new signings because they look good and everyone can buy the shirt and it looks pretty fancy. Palace have had a really good window at not allowing any of the players that I've mentioned to leave.

Now what they've got to do and whether this verdict has a direct correlation on what actually happens on Monday to the players that we've just mentioned I hope they stay and I'd like to think that Oliver Glasner has got to pull and pay out

to say to these players and say to someone like Mark Gurhey, I know he's only got one year left in his contract, so he's a little bit different to the likes of Wharton. But can you stay for one more year? Can you stay with us in Europe for one more year? And like we just said there, if they do go, I'm pretty sure that no palace players rocked the boat.

And anyone that leaves, palace fans will think, good on you. You know, you give it your best for the club. You never down tools. You tried every single game. And yes, you're going to go on to a bigger and better club. No disrespect whatsoever. And they'll go with their best wishes. but as it stands, keeping hold of their best players

is a really good window. Totally agree. Totally agree. Was that literally what you were about to say, Luke? I was just totally agree. You know, don't sit in the nail on the head. Sometimes it's about keeping your players. People forget how hard it is for clubs like Crystal Palace.

Outside of the legacy Big Six, as I call them, the ones who pay the biggest wages, how difficult it is every summer to keep hold of your top talent. So Mark Gahy's wanted to go for two years. Eze has been linked with moves for two or three years. Both of those players, not only if they not rock the boat, they turned up to play in the Community Shield today for Crystal Palace and both put in an excellent shift. Get closer to the action with live commentary from the world's greatest sporting events on BBC Sounds.

It is all over. Bulls, all edge, caught behind. Including cricket, Super League, women's Euros 2025, Wimbledon, Formula One and much more. It's all right to the lights and foot to the floor. Oh, what it's done it! Drop shots, winner! On five sports extra, sports extra two and sports extra three. Listen, only on BBC Sounds.

This is the Football Daily podcast with Ben Haynes. I do just want to have a little look at Liverpool's new signings because four of them on the pitch at the beginning of the game, Don. And you mentioned Eckertique there and the type of goal that he scored. I think there's probably four or five of those goals that he scored last season alone. But Vert was probably the one that got you off the edge of your seat, he said. Yeah. It was the little thing.

that he'd done in a game that wouldn't really stand out, but it was the one-touch pass, and it was before a ball's even come into him. He was checking his shoulders. There was a lovely little swivel in the middle of the parkway. He sort of went short and danced in behind and played a lovely little one, too, and then found himself in a bit of space.

He's one of these players. If you sort of watch him, and you'd just done a player cam on him, you'd see little bits that you're impressed with. But if you can ever sort of, like, it's hard to explain, but if you can not just focus on Florian Verts and look at the wider picture,

he's got the brains to sort of fall into a position where he's thinking like a chess player three or four moves in advance. So one passenger play today was Liverpool had it down the right-hand side and he was there and he showed no attempt really to get involved in the build-up down Liverpool's right

and he wandered all the way over to the left-hand side because he had this sort of six cents where I think Liverpool had it down the right with Frimpom, they went back to Canate to Van Dyke to Kyrkes and then all of a sudden he found himself in loads of space so he's one of these players where you just appreciate

by sort of watching the bigger picture and how clever and brain he actually is at finding space on top of obviously the player's ability. Why do you think it took Premier League sides this long to catch up to Florianverse? Because this isn't like he's only just started doing this, Don. He's been doing this for a long time. And he's one of those players that maybe,

perhaps it's a little unfair, but he's not the most dramatically pleasing on the eye. He's not like super technical, but he has this wonderful, efficient ability to get things done. I wonder whether perhaps that, that maybe plays a part in why it's taken Premier League size almost five years to bring him across? I think he had a really bad injury a few years ago.

I think he ruptured his ACL and it took him a little bit of time. And then, you know, Scott McTominee is the best example in the world. If you can give a player love time and make sure that he's wanted, he's just been nominated for a Ballandoor, Scott McTominee. And Florian Verst has had an unbelievable couple of seasons under Javi Alonzo. And I think the timing of it, Liverpool got in there really early.

The only team they were in a bid and war with was really by Munich, where you think where really you would have thought Man City would have had the march with Kevin DeBroner leaving, the perfect player to replace Kevin DeBroner. But all their money was sort of tied up elsewhere and Pep trying to have a really big rebuild. Liverpool got in there really early. If Liverpool was still rumbling on right here, right now, where Florian Verst, three or four, the biggest clubs in the world all trying to snatch him. So I think what you would do is credit Richard Hughes and Liverpool for getting this one over the line really quickly without too much fuss. Because I think what you

you're going to see, you're going to see a player that's going to be unbelievably entertaining this season. Lovely moment on 20 minutes, Luke, when we saw the stand innovation for Tiago Jota and then Jeremy Frimpong, perhaps a little bit fortunate, but nonetheless, a really lovely moment for everybody in the stadium. I think every, the trauma of the summer that Liverpool supporters have had, and obviously Diego Jotter's family, the fact that they were, you know, playing tribute to him in that exact minute when that goal went in.

It's just a beautiful moment. If you believe in that there's something after this life, you'd like to think that the Jotter was looking down on them and that moment happening. It was a lovely goal. And I'm going to disagree with you. I think Fringpong meant it. I'm going to be kind to him because it's the start of the season.

I'm going to be kind. I'm going to say it's a lovely piece of skill because it's August. And you've got to, you know, you've got to be positive. Everything is possible in August. The palace fans now are going crazy. listening to this. Yeah. Well,

that's fine. But it's August. If you ask me this question again in October, November, there'll be a very different one. Can I, can I tell you,

a lovely goal, lovely moment? 100% from a player's point of view, he did not mean that. He tried to stand the cross up to the far post. So miserable, Don.

So miserable. Do you know what I mean? Just give him, give him that moment. If you're saying he meant that, get him in for the Ballandoor. Yeah, I'm just full of optimism and kindness.

Anything is possible in August. Anything is possible at all. So if Frimpon wants to claim that goal, I'm happy to give it to him. It's all I'm going to say. Lots of things for Liverpool fans to be happy about, and I'm sure there'd be a lot of excitement about those new signings. Were there things today, Luke, where there'd be a few Liverpool fans scratching their head? Oh, that's a better question for me, isn't it? Now I can revert a bit more to type. Yeah, I was a little bit worried about Van Dyke at fault,

obviously for the penalty, but bad decision-making, bad positioning for the second goal as well looks a bit rusty he's getting to that age now just giving him a huge contract um extension um there will be questions asked way too early of course it's it's a preseason friendly with a trophy at the end of it let's get that right i don't think the alarm bells are ringing i think the defense looked a bit unconvincing shall we say and i think uh echo tk did really really well, but faded a little bit. I still think they are going to be the best team in England again this season, regardless of what happens with Alexander Isak.

I think they will win the title again. But yeah, the defence, you know, conceding two goals for Crystal Palace looked a bit shaky. Palace could have won it in normal time as well. And just those little question marks, as soon as you get to that age as a footballer, and you look like, you look a little bit slower than you did. are going to be asked. But look, Virgil Van Dyke, you know, I'm sure he won't be too worried about it at the moment. Still one of the elite centrebacks last season, I can't imagine there has been a huge drop-off over the summer. But it's just one to keep an eye on. And the other thing I will

say as well, for Liverpool, they have avoided the Community Shield curse. Because did you know that only one team in the last 15 seasons has won the Community Shield and gone on to win the Premier League that season? There's a chance, Palestine. There's a chance, Palestine. there's a chance. Manchester City back in 2018 and 19 were the only team to do the Community Shield and Premier League double that season. I think to give Virgil a little out

is he's not quite up to speed on his preseason. And I think it showed today. Virgil Van Dyke that's on it and at top speed and fully fit and had the best preseason doesn't give that penalty away. You know, he stays on his feet.

He takes the extra step and he takes the extra yard. His players, when you miss out a few days in preseason and you miss out on the odd game because he's not been solid in preseason the games that he's played and he's made

one or two errors as well so I think what you're seeing as I don't think you're seeing anything in the age or the drop off I just think you're seeing a player that needs to get fully fit

as quick as possible. Are they favourites for you, Don't? 100%. I think the one thing you would say and Liverpool fans have touched on it

is they've lost a lot of goals and they've lost a lot of creativity so obviously they lost the creativity and the assist from Alexander Arnold that replaced him with Frimpon and Connor Bradley's going to play

in that position. At the same time they've lost which is the uncomfortable conversation of Diogo Jota. They've lost his goals and his presence either starting or off the bench. They've lost Darwin Nunez, who scored a couple of goals at St James's Park, against 10 men, a couple of seasons back, scored a couple of goals

against Brentford. So they've lost Louis Diaz, who I thought was Liverpool's best and I say number nine because he played as a false nine last season. So they are sort of even a little bit light if you can be light with all the firepower they've got. So that's why the

news of Alexander Isak is not going going away because when you looked at the bench today, even though the bench was quite impressive, their best goals and their best numbers are in their start 11, so they do need more. You actually think they're a little bit short there? I mean, just looking at the squad today, I was thinking they look stacked. They look comparatively to a lot of other sides in the league. Stacked, but not goals on the bench, I don't think.

I mean, correct me from wrong, there was lots of midfield players, end OBM 1 and a couple of defenders. But if you're, let's just say, Eckertike picks up a knock, who's going to play Fos who's going to play number nine. Gakbo could come off that side or Mo Salah could play there or Florianverse. That's why Liverpool are still in for Alexander Isak. They're still in for another one because they realise, with domestic competitions and Champions League football, there's a lot of football to be played. So it wouldn't surprise me. Even Barcola got linked last week. So he's not signed his new deal at PSG. So I don't think Newcastle

are done. I think he's probably the next one through the door from Crystal Palace. He was really impressive today. But I don't think their spending is going to stop now. not to be for Liverpool then today but let's hear from their boss on a slot a good team that we faced again today they made a difficult for us last season not only for us for many teams in the Premier League and they made difficult for us again today

large parts of the game I was quite pleased with what I saw I think we were able to create more than we usually do against team that defence solo as palace do but yeah conceding too if you're twice a goal up and then in the end conceding two goals It's too much, especially if you take the penalties the way we did. Is it a real bonus, though, to have Eka TK and Frimpong both scoring goals right at the start of their Liverpool careers? That does take a little bit of the pressure in particular of Eke TK.

To a certain extent, that's true, but these are players that we've brought in for quite a lot of money, so they know how to handle the pressure. But it's always nice if you started your new club with a goal, but I think it's even better and nicer. if you win something together. And that's not what we did today, but both of them played a good game, I agree. What is it about penalty shootouts at the moment, Arna? We've watched quite a few during the summer

and a lot seem to be missed at the moment. A goalkeeper's getting better, or is there more intelligence on where the actual taker of the penalty is going to go? I don't know. Maybe in two years we say, every penalty is being scored again. If the other team misses two out of five penalties,

you expect to win a penalty shootout and we didn't. Kind of a surprise if you look at the ones that took the penalty because Mo Salah is normally someone who scores. McGalester is normally someone who scores. And Harvey Elliott is known for scoring a penalty. But yeah, this is also football.

Unfortunately for us the second time that we go to penalties that we lose against Polyse and Jermat cost us a lot by going out of the Champions League and this one cost us a trophy. Rob Northman, with the questions there to Arna slot. Let's move on and take a little look at Alexander Ezek. So Newcastle

have essentially told him he won't be sold this window and that's despite various levels of interest from Liverpool. Where are we currently at with this transfer saga? Yeah, and it is a saga and I think I wrote in March that it would be a saga and this sort of thing was going to happen.

Hang on, why did you say that? Why would you say in March that it was going to be like this? I think everybody knew that Alexander Isak was one of the most coveted players in Europe, I think there was a perception that he would get to a point where he thought he'd outgrown Newcastle. I think Newcastle had been prepared for that moment. I've said this many times now on the radio. They war-gamed for this scenario. They prepared themselves for it.

I were hearing, which is what makes me laugh, is I had a conversation with somebody in March and they said, oh, what's going to, how I can tell you, what's going to happen with ESAC now, there'd be lots of noise created. It will start on social media. It will start and filter into the press that X club wants to buy him and then we'll get a bid that is the noise will generate to turn his head and to unsettle him and then we'll get a bid way below our valuation. Now let's look how this transfer saga has played out. A lot of noise created started on social media, spreads into the main media, then Liverpool offer 110 million pounds way below his 150 million pound valuation. So it is sort of played out exactly how Newcastle suspected it was going

to play out. Now, where are we? I have to walk you through how these sorts of stories work. So I speak to a lot of people at Newcastle at every level of the football club. I've done the job for a long, long time. I know a lot of people there. The message has always been the same that he would not be allowed to leave this summer and that he was not for sale. I have checked pretty much every week at the start of the summer, probably checking up on a daily basis at the moment, that stance has not changed. He is not for sale. He will not be allowed to leave. But I think what has changed is that nobody anticipated that Isak would behave as badly as he has done. I mean, he is effectively refusing to play. He's not been allowed to train with the

first team squad because his presence is too divisive. He is absolutely desperate to force his way out. He wants to go to Liverpool. He's made that perfectly clear. Newcastle have told him directly um that he is not for sale and he won't be going anywhere that has made things worse he's behaved more you know he's behaved badly um he wants to try and go so they've got this really weird scenario ben now where they have maintained all summer he's not for sale he's not for sale he's not going but that has been put under the ultimate stress test the ultimate stress test because you've got a player who wants to go and has made it clear he wants to go who seems willing to burn bridges at Newcastle on his way out to get his move to Liverpool and you've got a board led by

Saudi Arabia's public investment fund who are not bullied in anything they do in business in any of the sports ventures they've done insisting is not for sale and then in the middle you've got Eddie Howe the manager who has somehow got to navigate his way through this really really difficult situation I think the problem Liverpool have got is that Newcastle need two strikers now this summer and there are three weeks left having said that their star player is not for sale to sell him is one thing i think it would look really bad optics wide for the saudi arabians which is why they're saying he's not not for sale i think it would look really really bad for them having had this stance to then suddenly buckle at the last minute and say he's going and then also responding to

player power and letting a player dictate to what happens so i think the problem they've got liverpool is that they're bid too low. I don't know why they've gone in with £110 million when his valuation is $150. That's not the way to try and tempt Newcastle. That was over a week ago that bid went in. They first said they were willing to pay $120 million over a month ago. Nothing happened. Have Newcastle got the time now to save face to repair the damage done that ESAC will leave

by signing two strikers of sufficient quality to replace him? I don't think they have. think that is a huge problem for Liverpool. Liverpool have said they won't bid again unless they're encouraged to by Newcastle. I don't think they're going to get that encouragement. So they're going to have to come up with a bid. I suspect they will go in with a second bid just to see whether ESAC's behaviour has changed Newcastle's stance. But everything I'm told is without replacements, without a bid of 150 million or more, Newcastle won't sell. But there's three weeks left, Ben. There's three weeks left. And he is behaving, and I've described it as despicable.

the Daily Telegraph today. I think he's behaving despicably. When a player behaves despicably, there is always a chance they're going to be able to force the way out because ultimately, Eddie Hale might decide, I just don't need the hassle. I don't need that toxic presence in my dressing room. So I was reading your article today, Luke, and I think

one of the things that jumped out is that you said there that Alexander Isaac's frustration and annoyance should be geared towards his agent, for example, for getting him to sign a six-year deal that would keep him in this position where Newcastle feel that they hold a lot of the chips, but you also then just mentioned that Eddie Howe has to somehow navigate this.

What does Eddie Howe do in this situation? Because you've mentioned that perhaps the ownership won't want to lose face, but I'd assume from a player point of view that Eddie Howe won't potentially lose face here either. No, I think Eddie's been quite sensible. He has, he's effectively said to the board, it's got to be your decision. And he has, he has, he has effectively said to the board, it's got to be your decision and he has ceded control of it to them. I think if he's told that Alex Randar Isak and this position has got to hold for another three weeks, there are no guarantees it will hold for another three weeks, but that is the position at the moment. If the board continues to say, not for sale, not going anywhere, which when I checked again today, today being Sunday,

if people are listening on Monday, it was exactly the same, then he's going to have to pick up the pieces and he's got to protect his relationship with the player and he somehow got to bring Alexander Isak back into the fold when this is all over. That is a very, very difficult job because the player has made it perfectly clear he's desperate to leave. He wants to leave.

But if the board say he's not leaving, the window shuts in September, what does Alexander Isak do? He's got to play football. He's got to play football. It's a World Cup year. He's got to come back. But Eddie, I think,

he's just keeping his hands out of it, really, of that decision. He's left it to the board to decide what happens. But the problem, Freddie Howe is, I think whoever they sign, Even if they sign two strikers, you're losing one of the best strikers in the world, and your squad is going to be weaker regardless.

I just think it would have been a totally different situation if Liverpool had done this in May, start a June, rather than wait to this late in the window. And I think they are trying to bully Newcastle, indirectly or directly, they will say indirectly through the agent. I'm sure that's I blame the agent for it. But they are trying to bully Newcastle and to selling a player against their wishes. And Newcastle are digging in and resisting,

as they always plan to do this summer. Don, just from the other side of this, how hard is it for players to rebuild that connection with fans? If we do get to a point where Alexander Isak isn't sold, how hard is it going to be for him to rebuild connections with the fan base, with his teammates, and to earn the trust of everyone around the club again? It's not that hard. What you've got to do is this is the problem with what Luke's saying about the behaviour of Alexander Isak. and it looks absolutely spot on. And therefore, I would question the character of Alexander Isak because if he really wants to leave Newcastle United,

if he's really desperate to force that move through to Liverpool, why has he not put a transfer request in? That's what you do as a player. When you really want to leave, you put a written transfer request in, and you forgive any future wages, any loyalty bonuses, anything that might be coming your way, that's what a written transfer, that's basically what it means.

So why is he not done that? because his agent is probably saying to him, don't do that because we'll lose future money. That's like the last resort. But if you really want to leave, go and do that. Go and go and go and go and show a real bit of bottle because not put the transfer request in just means you're sitting behind your agent

and you're saying to your agent, are you pick up the phone that anyhow because you've been texting me, he's been calling me, I'm not going to listen to the gaffer. In terms of building bridges, it's not that hard. Isaac's been a little bit cowardly on this one by just sitting backwards and doing nothing. But in terms of building,

and bridges. Eddie Howe's in the most difficult position of all. He's the one I feel sorry for because I know what the dressing room is like. The dressing room will welcome back Alexander Isak within five, ten minutes of a bit of banter. And are you still here? You're still here? You're not gone yet. Players, we're, you know, we're funny like that. Players will always be okay with each other. Eddie Howe is trying to gear up for a Premier League campaign starting Astinville next week. Tough fixture. And how's it going to look at Alexander Isak has not even traveled or sitting on the bench or sit in the stand. It's going to generate news and this is going to rumble on.

But I would question the character going back to what I said before. If you really want to leave, go and put a written transfer request in. What does you say happens here, Luke, in terms of the end of the window, what are we sitting here talking about? I mean, I've been 80, 20 in favour of Isaac staying ever since this story broke. I doubt myself all the time because there is so much noise about it. Like I said, I don't think Newcastle anticipated that Isak would behave this badly. I think he is exerting a lot of pressure on them.

But like I say, the conversations I've had are all that the stance has not saying he's not for sale. I think if Newcastle had signed an Eckertique, if they'd signed Cessco, if they'd sign Pedro, there will be more chance of it happening for sure. But with three weeks of the window left, they've got to sign two strikers, and there just simply isn't anyone out there of the quality, but not just the quality of the potential of Alexander Isak, who is still left on the market. And look, isn't it a funny thing that? If you rewind about three or four weeks ago, before any of this,

Alexander Isak News broke, being a Newcastle fan, I'm thinking, Alexander Isak and Ekitika, Newcastle, what a front to that is, on top of Alanga and Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes and the best midfield three in the country, I'm thinking, all of a sudden, from a Newcastle point of view now, not only are you, I'll say this very loosely, cement in top four, but you're more or less challenging the top three and then fast forward two or three weeks and they missed that on Eckertica as you said

about Liverpool bullying Newcastle where they took their prime target and now they're trying to take away the player so Newcastle fans must be absolutely at this present time distraught yeah and we talked about it with Crystal Palace didn't you because Newcastle of course just come off the most successful season

certainly in living memory really a season that nobody saw coming everyone thought it could be a disaster last summer when they didn't sign anybody They've just come off that. They've won their first trophy. Great scenes in Newcastle. They're finishing the Champions League again.

They were thinking about a transformative summer. They've gone in for some big, big players, elite players, plug in and play players who would improve them as a Champions League team. And they've missed out on so many of them. And then I think there's one thing missing out on these players, but then when you get to the end of the window and you've got your best player, your top goal scorer, the one who is idolized as all great centre forwards are at St. James's Park.

you've got him suddenly, not only you having to read about him being linked with a move away, not only you're reading about bids coming in, he's behaved despicably, I'll use that word again, he's behaved despicably, he's let everybody down trying to force his way out of the football club, and that just sours everything, and it shouldn't sour everything, because last season was wonderful. Alexander Reset could have done anything, and his reputation would have remained unblemished, apart from this. It's a long road back for him. I just, there is part of me that things Newcastle might just buckle. They might just buckle at the end of it and give in,

but all the conversations I'm having is they won't do that. The ownership will simply not do that. I think we're Newcastle fans are bored of it now, aren't they? We all are. They just want the player to stay or to be gone. And if Alexander Isak leaves in this way, in five years' time, he'll be dropped by Newcastle fans.

There's a reason why Newcastle fans sing for Alan Shearan, they sing for Kevin Keegan, they sing for Jinnela, they sing for Peter Beardsley and Andy Cole, who went to Man United. they're still seeing Andy Cole's name. They'll drop Alexander Isak after five years if he moves like this. It'll be five minutes.

It'll be five minutes. And his reception at St James's Park whenever he comes back will... Well, it's the second game of the season, isn't it? Isn't it the second game of the season? Newcastle Liverpool. Yeah. Well, imagine if he's a Liverpool player then.

So it could go either way, Ben. I haven't got a crystal ball. I just know what I'm told and I report what I'm told. And what I'm told repeatedly and have been all summer, not for sale. And I was literally told it again this morning. And I do think we are still sitting here on the 1st of September, still talking about this, probably, with things still up in the year,

maybe not resolved at that point, just that the nature of the way that transfers are working at the moment, particularly in the Premier League. But that is where we'll leave it on the pod for today. Huge thanks to Luke Edwards and to Don Hutchison for joining me. The next episode of The Football Daily will be the Monday Night Club. That's with Mark Chapman, Chris Sutton, Rory Smith, and Izzy Christensen. Thanks so much for listening, and we'll see you all next time.

This is the Football Daily podcast With Ben Haynes We are back with the Fantasy 606 podcast Whoa, well Chris, I've got to stop you there We have changed our name this season To the FPL podcast from BBC Sports All you need to do is search for FPL And if you already subscribe to our podcast

You don't need to do anything at all Chris have a guess what the code to join The BBC Sport League is Is it 5E? It's BBC FPL. Oh, yeah. Come and play the game with us as we continue to teach Chris about fantasy Premier League.

The FPL podcast from BBC Sports. Listen on BBC Sounds. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.