Crystal Palace have clinched their first-ever FA Cup trophy, delivering a seismic shock with a 1-0 victory over holders Manchester City at Wembley Stadium. Eberechi Eze’s early strike proved decisive, compounding a difficult season for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The Palace midfielder’s 16th-minute volley sent shockwaves through the City ranks, and their afternoon worsened when goalkeeper Dean Henderson dramatically saved Omar Marmoush’s penalty before half-time.
While Eze’s moment of brilliance capped a remarkable journey for a player once released by several London clubs, it was Henderson who ultimately stole the spotlight with a string of outstanding saves.
Manchester City will feel aggrieved after Henderson appeared to handle the ball outside his area in the first half, an incident that escaped a red card. However, the Palace keeper capitalised on this controversial moment, ensuring his side secured a historic first major trophy in their 120-year existence and a coveted place in next season’s Europa League.
Having fallen at the final hurdle in 1990 and 2016 against Manchester United, this unexpected triumph was richly deserved for Oliver Glasner’s well-drilled Palace side, as Manchester City endured another setback in a season that will see them without major silverware for the first time since 2016-17.
After four successive Premier League titles, City currently sit sixth in the league. With a home game against Bournemouth on Tuesday and a trip to Fulham on May 25th remaining, their focus now shifts to salvaging a Champions League qualification spot from a turbulent campaign.
Guardiola had previously questioned his team’s hunger following their failure to keep pace with Liverpool in the title race and their Champions League exit. While desire may not have been lacking at Wembley, City’s disjointed performance in their second consecutive FA Cup final defeat will raise serious questions, as Glasner’s tactical approach outmanoeuvred his illustrious counterpart.
In a familiar pattern for showpiece occasions, Guardiola opted for a bold, attack-minded line-up without a recognised holding midfielder – a gamble that ultimately backfired.
Speaking pre-match about his selection, Guardiola spoke of his faith in “talent,” but Glasner had clearly identified a vulnerability, stating that such an attacking approach “could give you an opportunity in transitions.”
Erling Haaland did threaten early on, forcing a save from Henderson with a stretching volley from Kevin De Bruyne’s cross. Josko Gvardiol also saw a header from a corner well saved by the inspired Palace keeper.
However, Palace’s disciplined deep-lying defence proved the platform for their decisive counter-attack. From their own penalty area, Jean-Philippe Mateta held up a long pass from Chris Richards, laying it off to Daniel Munoz. His cross was met by a sublime volley from Eze, who guided the ball past Stefan Ortega from 12 yards.
City’s frustration grew when Henderson avoided a red card after a VAR check for a handball outside the box when challenging Haaland. The decision that it was “not an obvious goal-scoring opportunity” proved pivotal as Henderson then saved Marmoush’s 35th-minute penalty. The spot-kick was awarded after Tyrick Mitchell’s clumsy foul on Bernardo Silva. In a surprising move, Haaland allowed Marmoush to take the penalty, a decision City would come to regret as Henderson dived to his right to make the save.
Henderson continued to frustrate City after the break, denying Jeremy Doku with a brilliant save destined for the top corner and later producing two more excellent stops from Claudio Echeverri, capping a memorable and chastening day for Guardiola’s side.
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