Crystal Palace have written a new chapter in the fairy tale of English football. The London club stunned a far stronger opponent, Manchester City to win their first-ever major title in their 120-year history. In the FA Cup final held at Wembley on Saturday, Eberechi Eze’s lone goal secured a historic 1-0 victory.
Palace had reached the FA Cup final twice before, only to lose both times to Manchester United. But this time, they fulfilled their long-awaited dream by defeating another Manchester giant—City, the dominant force in English football in recent seasons. Under Roy Hodgson’s guidance, Palace finally broke their curse.
Despite being backed by a crowd of 85,000 at Wembley and clearly superior on paper, Manchester City couldn’t translate that into success on the pitch. From the start, they dominated possession and launched numerous attacks but failed to find the net. Palace, on the other hand, scored from their very first real chance in the 16th minute.
Daniel Muñoz delivered a cross from the right, which Eberechi Eze controlled near the penalty spot before unleashing a brilliant volley into the net. That goal ultimately proved to be the match-winner.
While Eze was the goal-scoring hero, another standout was Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. He put on a sensational performance, repeatedly denying City’s attacking efforts with a string of crucial saves.
In the 33rd minute, Henderson stopped a penalty taken by Omar Marmoush and then blocked Erling Haaland’s follow-up. He also saved clear-cut chances from Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne in the 43rd minute and stoppage time, keeping Palace’s dream alive.
City enjoyed nearly 75% possession and attempted 23 shots, six of which were on target. But poor finishing and Henderson’s heroic display left them goalless. Palace, meanwhile, had just seven shots with two on target—one finding the back of the net.
In the 57th minute, Muñoz appeared to have scored a second for Palace, but it was ruled offside after a VAR check.
Kevin De Bruyne’s late effort narrowly missed the post in the dying moments, sealing City’s defeat and leaving them to walk off in disappointment, as Crystal Palace celebrated a night they’ll never forget.
UA / TDS
