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Crystal Palace etched their name in football history, defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium to claim their first major trophy in 119 years. Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal, coupled with Dean Henderson’s heroics, secured a monumental victory and a UEFA Europa League spot.
Crystal Palace clinched a 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the 2025 FA Cup final, with Eberechi Eze scoring the only goal. This triumph marked Palace’s first major trophy and earned them a historic UEFA Europa League berth. The match, held at Wembley Stadium, saw Palace withstand City’s dominance through a counter-attack goal and resolute defending.
First Half: Palace Strike and Survive
- Eze’s Decisive Goal: In the 16th minute, Daniel Munoz raced down the right and delivered a low cross, which Eze swept past Stefan Ortega.
- Henderson’s VAR Escape: Dean Henderson avoided a red card after handling the ball outside his area to stop Erling Haaland, with VAR official Jarred Gillett ruling no clear goalscoring opportunity was denied.
- Penalty Heroics: Henderson saved a penalty from Omar Marmoush, awarded after Tyrick Mitchell’s minimal contact foul on Bernardo Silva.
- City’s Frustration: Henderson denied Haaland and Jeremy Doku, while Kevin De Bruyne fired a rebound over, leaving City goalless.
Second Half: Palace’s Resilience
- Disallowed Goal: In the 58th minute, Munoz’s goal was ruled out for offside after his shot hit Ismaila Sarr.
- Echeverri’s Near Miss: City substitute Claudio Echeverri, on his senior debut, was twice stopped by Henderson in the closing stages.
- Stoppage Time Stand: Despite 10 minutes of added time, City couldn’t break through Palace’s defense.
Crystal Palace
Palace’s collective effort was lauded by manager Oliver Glasner for its “great togetherness.” Standout performers included:
- Dean Henderson (8/10): Player of the Match for his penalty save and stops against Haaland, Doku, and Echeverri.
- Eberechi Eze (8/10): Scored the winner and troubled City’s defense.
- Daniel Munoz (8/10): Assisted Eze’s goal and defended stoutly.
- Defensive Core: Marc Guehi, Maxence Lacroix, and Chris Richards (all 7/10) anchored the backline.
Manchester City
City’s attacking setup, lacking a holding midfielder, failed to convert chances. Key ratings included:
- Omar Marmoush (4/10): Missed a penalty given to him by Haaland.
- Erling Haaland (5/10): Stifled by Henderson’s saves.
- Claudio Echeverri (6/10): Impressed on debut but couldn’t score.
- Stefan Ortega (6/10): Beaten by Eze’s strike but faced few other tests.
Crystal Palace
- Oliver Glasner: Called the win “special,” noting, “The goal was the first time we were in their half and then we just defended with every single part of the body.”
- Steve Parish (Chairman): Described the victory as “redemption” after past final losses, saying, “I’m ecstatic.”
Manchester City
- Pep Guardiola: Praised City’s effort but rued their finishing, stating, “We played really good. We did everything. Unfortunately, we could not score.” He also criticized Henderson’s time-wasting.
The victory moved Palace fans deeply, with a TIFO honoring supporters whose father, linked to a past Ambrose goal, had passed away. Social media captured their emotions: “These lads sitting in front of me are balling their eyes out.” Roy Keane on ITV Sport said, “This is Crystal Palace’s day… There are kids in disbelief thinking ‘is this the real Crystal Palace?’”
Palace’s counter-attacking strategy and defensive solidity outwitted City’s aggressive, no-holding-midfielder approach. Roy Keane highlighted Palace’s “spirit, fight, quality, a little bit of luck, belief,” crediting Henderson and the VAR call. For City, the loss ended Pep Guardiola’s run of winning a major trophy every season for eight years.
Crystal Palace:
- Host Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday.
- Visit Liverpool on May 25, sitting 12th with 49 points from 36 games.
Manchester City:
- Host Bournemouth on Tuesday.
- Face Fulham away on May 25, then compete in the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
