Crystal Palace stunned Manchester City on Saturday to win the FA Cup for the first time in the club history, as Eberechi Eze’s early strike sealed a dramatic 1-0 victory that deepened the woes of Pep Guardiola’s troubled side.
Eze’s clinical finish in the opening minutes rocked City at Wembley, capping his inspirational rise from rejection at Arsenal, Fulham, and Millwall.
But it was goalkeeper Dean Henderson who emerged as the true hero, saving Omar Marmoush’s first-half penalty and producing a string of outstanding stops to preserve Palace’s slender lead.
City were left fuming after Henderson escaped punishment for a handball outside the penalty area in the first half—a moment that could have changed the course of the match.
Instead, the keeper made the most of the reprieve to help the Eagles secure the first major trophy in their 120-year history and earn a Europa League place for next season.
Having lost to Manchester United in their previous two FA Cup finals (1990 and 2016), Palace finally etched their name on the famous trophy in a deserved triumph.
For City, the defeat marked a catastrophic end to a dismal campaign—set to be their first without a major honour since Guardiola’s debut season in 2016–17.
Currently sitting sixth in the Premier League, City face Bournemouth on Tuesday and Fulham on May 25, desperate to rescue a spot in next season’s Champions League.
But Guardiola’s decision to field an ultra-attacking line-up without a holding midfielder backfired spectacularly, as he was outmaneuvered by Oliver Glasner’s tactically disciplined Eagles.
Despite questioning his squad’s hunger after falling behind in the title race and crashing out of the Champions League,
City’s lack of cohesion and conviction in yet another final defeat raises fresh doubts about their direction under Guardiola.
