KEIR RADNEDGE at WEMBLEY —- British record signing Florian Wirtz took his first steps up a steep learning curve as Premier League champions Liverpool were beaten 3-2 on penalties by Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace in an intense season-opening FA Community Shield at Wembley.

It all began well enough as Wirtz launched his competitive Liverpool career by providing the opening goal for fellow new boy Hugo Etikite in a 2-2 draw. However he – like several of his team-mates – was visibly tiring by the time of his 84th-minute substitution and FA Cup-holders Palace duly followed up last season’s first major trophy by securing a second via the shootout.

Mo Salah, Alex Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott all failed from the spot before Northern Ireland’s Justin Devenny shot the decider.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be painfully aware that a better team than Palace would not have needed penalties to punish Liverpool’s defensive sloppiness. He may also have a problem sorrting out a system which accommodates both Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian started from deep on the left of midfield and looked more comfortable only after being moved forward in a late tactical reshuffle.

Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley, two of Slot’s most illustrious predecessors, insisted that the moment of success is the best time to buy new players, creating strength out of strength. Liverpool, to that end, have spent £270m on Wirtz, Hugo Etikite, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez with another couple of major signings expected.

One could be Newcastle’s Sweden top scorer Alex Isak and another should certainly be a mobile central defender. Palace captain Marc Guehi is a target since he has only one year left on his contract.

Guehi’s loss would be a blow for Oliver Glasner. Palace’s manager has already expressed concern that last season’s FA Cup victory has not been consolidated by major signings. This week will be important in another way off the pitch. Palace learn on Monday the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport on their appeal against demotion from the Europa League to the Conference League for a breach of UEFA’s multi-ownership rules.

A minute’s silence in memory of car crash victim Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva before kick-off was cut short after jeers from the Palace fans in response to Liverpool supporters’ booing of the national anthem but the unpleasant was soon dispelled by Liverpool new boys Wirtz and Etikite.

The German found space on the left, connected with the Frenchman and the pair exchanged passes so Etikite could step square across the sleepy Palace defence and open his Liverpool account.

Palace were level after 17 minutes with Jean-Philippe Mateta converting a penalty after Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk tripped Ismaila Sarr.

They were on terms for only four minutes. Frimpong restored Liverpool’s lead with his own first goal for his new club since abandoning the Bundesliga. The Dutchman seized a long clearance from Van Dijk and deceiving keeper Dean Henderson with a right-wing chip. Departed Trent alexander-Arnold would have been proud of that one.

Wirtz, as time went on, began to enjoy both the game and the occasion. He also learned an early lesson about English refereeing – kicking the ball away at a free kick is a heinous crime. Thus FIFA referee Chris Kavanagh provided the first yellow card of Wirtz’s Liverpool career shortly before halftime.

Liverpool threatened to begin the second half as they had launched the first except that this time Etikite missed an open goal with a header and Wirtz shot high over the bar.

Palace, having escaped, began to run the game. Slot replaced Etikite and Curtis Jones with Alexis MacAllister and Wataru Endo to shore up midfield but the change proved in vain. Van Dijk and Milos Kerkez were badly caught out of position as Sarr beat the offside trap for a deserved equaliser.

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