Crystal Palace achieved a historic milestone on Saturday, securing their first-ever major trophy by defeating Pep Guardiola`s Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final. This marked Palace`s third appearance in the final, and it proved to be the charm needed for victory. The decisive goal came in the first half from Eberechi Eze. For Manchester City, this defeat means they finish the season without a major trophy for the first time since the 2016-17 campaign. It also brought a disappointing end to the Manchester City career of club legend Kevin de Bruyne, who is set to depart this summer.
United States men`s national team players Chris Richards and Matt Turner will take home winners` medals. Richards played every minute of the match in defence, while goalkeeper Matt Turner was part of the squad as a backup.
Palace started the match strongly and took the lead after just 16 minutes. Jean-Philippe Mateta was instrumental in the build-up, combining well before finding right back Daniel Munoz. The Colombian defender delivered a powerful low cross into the penalty area, which Eberechi Eze expertly directed into the far corner of the net.
Controversy arose shortly after the goal when Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson appeared to handle the ball outside of his box. According to CBS Sports rules analyst Christina Unkel, this incident should have resulted in a red card on the field, recommending VAR review the denial of a goal-scoring opportunity.
Before halftime, Manchester City had a golden opportunity to equalize when a penalty was awarded following a foul on Bernardo Silva. Omar Marmoush stepped up to take the spot-kick, aiming low to the left, but Henderson produced a superb diving save to deny him. The ball remained loose, and although Erling Haaland was quick to react to the rebound, Henderson was able to smother his follow-up attempt as well, preventing any further danger.
Henderson, a former Manchester United goalkeeper, delivered a standout performance against his former rivals, proving to be a formidable barrier. He faced a total of 23 shots throughout the game, making six crucial saves. Despite Manchester City dominating possession with 79% and completing nearly 500 more passes over the 90 minutes, they could not find a way past the inspired Palace defence.
Palace thought they had doubled their lead early in the second half when Daniel Munoz scored from his own rebound, but the goal was correctly disallowed for offside against Ismaila Sarr following a review.
Manchester City continued to press intensely, attempting to bombard the Palace goal with chances, ending the game with 23 shots and an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.30. However, their efforts were in vain. The underdogs held on resolutely to lift the coveted FA Cup trophy at Wembley Stadium, celebrating with their passionate and expectant supporters. Henderson`s clean sheet was a key factor in their historic triumph.
