Crystal Palace won the first major trophy in their history on Saturday, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in a dramatic FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Eberechi Eze scored the decisive goal in the first half, while goalkeeper Dean Henderson delivered an outstanding performance, notably saving a penalty, to seal a memorable victory for the Eagles.
The triumph also means Manchester City conclude a season without winning any silverware for the first time since manager Pep Guardiola’s inaugural campaign in 2016-17.
Crystal Palace took the lead in the 16th minute when Eberechi Eze capped a superb counter-attack by sweeping home a cross from Daniel Munoz past City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Manchester City faced considerable frustration throughout the match. A key moment occurred in the first half when Palace keeper Dean Henderson handled the ball outside his penalty area under pressure from Erling Haaland.
However, Henderson was not shown a red card, as the video assistant referee (VAR) determined that Haaland was moving away from goal and thus not denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Henderson further solidified his heroic status in the 36th minute when he saved Omar Marmoush’s penalty. The spot-kick was awarded after Tyrick Mitchell fouled Bernardo Silva. Erling Haaland reportedly stepped aside from penalty duties, having missed three of his previous seven attempts. Henderson’s save was the first in an FA Cup final (excluding shootouts) since Petr Cech for Chelsea against Portsmouth in 2010.
Despite Manchester City dominating possession (78%), Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side defended magnificently. Henderson was instrumental, making crucial saves from Haaland, Josko Gvardiol, and Jeremy Doku in the first half, and later denying Claudio Echeverri after the break.
The final whistle prompted scenes of jubilation among Crystal Palace supporters, as their long wait for major silverware, having previously lost FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016, came to an end. The victory also secures Palace a place in next season’s Europa League.
For Manchester City, the defeat marks their second consecutive FA Cup final loss, following last season’s defeat to Manchester United. The performance was characterised by a lack of clinical edge, and it potentially signals a period of transition, with the future of stalwart Kevin de Bruyne, whose City career is reportedly nearing its end, under discussion. Pep Guardiola appeared visibly frustrated at the conclusion of the match.
Manchester City must now quickly refocus for their Premier League fixture at home to Bournemouth on Tuesday, May 20, as they still require points to guarantee qualification for next season’s Champions League.
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