Crystal Palace win FA Cup
Crystal Palace 1 - 0 Manchester City
Crystal Palace claimed the first major trophy in their 119-year history with a stunning 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Author - James L
Stadium - Wembley Stadium
Eberechi Eze scored the decisive goal after just 16 minutes, finishing off a rapid counter-attack with a composed strike from Daniel Muñoz’s low cross. It was a moment of brilliance that ultimately proved enough to see off the defending champions.
For City, it was a day of deep frustration. Pep Guardiola’s side end the season without silverware for the first time since his debut campaign in 2016–17.
Their mood soured further after a controversial incident in the first half, when Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson escaped a red card despite handling outside his area under pressure from Erling Haaland. VAR ruled that Haaland was moving away from goal and had not been denied a clear scoring opportunity.
Henderson’s influence only grew from there. He saved a penalty from Omar Marmoush after Tyrick Mitchell brought down Bernardo Silva in the box. Haaland, having missed three of his last seven spot-kicks, stepped aside for the attempt.
City dominated the ball throughout, but Palace defended resolutely. Henderson produced a string of crucial saves, denying Haaland, Joško Gvardiol and Jérémy Doku before the interval, then keeping out Claudio Echeverri in the second half to preserve the lead.
The final whistle sparked jubilant celebrations among Palace supporters, as Oliver Glasner’s side etched their name into history and brought an end to the club’s long wait for major honours.
Crystal Palace's greatest day
The glory of winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City came after they emerged from the darkness of a crisis earlier in the season that threatened manager Oliver Glasner.
Crystal Palace experienced their worst start to a season since 1992-93, failing to secure a Premier League win until they defeated Tottenham in their ninth match at Selhurst Park on October 27. However, this disappointing beginning was a distant memory as the Eagles celebrated their first major success in history in the sunshine at Wembley.
As Glasner and his victorious Palace team celebrated in front of their thrilled supporters, the anthem "Glad All Over" echoed throughout the stadium. This moment served as the ultimate justification for chairman Steve Parish and the Selhurst Park hierarchy, who had remained steadfast despite the growing doubts surrounding the 50-year-old Austrian manager.
