Oliver Glasner is brimming with confidence as his Crystal Palace side prepares to face Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium. Fresh off an FA Cup victory against Manchester City at the same venue, Glasner believes his team is capable of instilling fear into the Premier League champions.
Glasner acknowledges Liverpool as favorites but emphasizes that his team has the potential to win. He points to their previous performances against top teams like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool themselves as evidence of their capabilities. Glasner also highlighted that he is unbeaten at Wembley with Crystal Palace, with two wins over Aston Villa and Manchester City.
"We know they are a great team, but I know we are a great team as well," Glasner stated. "We know that if we perform at our top level, I think no-one likes to play against us".
Glasner is taking the Community Shield seriously, emphasizing that he always wants to win when playing for silverware. He applies a winning mentality to every game, even a casual game of Connect Four. "Never play a game just for playing it," he declared. "Enter the pitch, go to Wembley, prepare in the best way, have the confidence that you can win it, and give the best that you can do".
Crystal Palace will be without four players for the match: Eddie Nketiah, Cheick Doucouré, Caleb Kporha, and Matheus França. However, key players like Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi are set to feature, with Guehi captaining the team.
Liverpool, under the leadership of Arne Slot, are aiming for their first Community Shield in three years. They have bolstered their squad with signings like Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Milos Kerkez. New signing Wirtz is expected to make his debut, while Alexis Mac Allister is in contention but unlikely to play the full 90 minutes. Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk have returned to training, but Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley are sidelined with injuries.
Slot recognizes the threats Crystal Palace poses, particularly their counter-attacks, set-pieces, and long balls to Jean-Philippe Mateta. He also acknowledged the individual quality of their forwards.
Glasner is aware of Liverpool's strengths, particularly how they have strengthened their team in the transfer market. However, he believes Crystal Palace also has skills that teams don't like to play against, such as a compact defense, threatening transitions, pace, great spirit and the ability to score goals from set-plays.
Despite speculation surrounding Marc Guehi's future, with Liverpool reportedly interested, Glasner has accepted that the decision rests with the player. He confirmed that Guehi will captain Crystal Palace against Liverpool.
As Crystal Palace prepares for their first-ever Community Shield appearance, Glasner hopes to replicate their FA Cup success and secure another trophy at Wembley. He wants his team to show their personality, demonstrate how they play, and prove they can compete with any team. Glasner conveyed his excitement for the game, considering it an opportunity to compete against the Premier League champions.