May 18 2025

Joel Ward lifts the FA Cup trophy

Crystal Palace stunned Manchester City with a heroic 1-0 victory in the FA Cup final at Wembley, lifting the first major trophy in the club’s 119-year history and booking their place in next season’s Europa League.

Eberechi Eze wrote his name into Crystal Palace folklore with a composed 16th-minute finish that proved enough to beat the defending champions.

The goal came against the run of play but showcased Palace’s ruthless edge — Daniel Muñoz broke free on the right and delivered a pinpoint cross, which Eze swept past Stefan Ortega with his first touch in the City box.

City dominated possession — finishing with 78% — but Palace’s discipline, resilience, and the brilliance of goalkeeper Dean Henderson held firm in the face of relentless pressure.

Henderson’s role was immense, not only in shot-stopping but in a moment of first-half controversy. After rushing out to clear the ball under pressure from Erling Haaland, replays showed Henderson may have handled the ball outside his area. VAR ruled that Haaland was not moving toward goal and that it wasn’t a clear denial of a goal-scoring opportunity — no red card was shown.

Just 10 minutes later, Henderson made history. After Tyrick Mitchell’s foul on Bernardo Silva handed City a penalty, Omar Marmoush stepped up in place of the misfiring Haaland. Henderson guessed right and dived low to deny him — becoming the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final (excluding shootouts) since 2010.

Despite wave after wave of attacks, City could find no way through. Henderson made smart stops from Haaland, Gvardiol, Doku, and late substitute Claudio Echeverri, while the likes of Chris Richards and Marc Guehi put in immense shifts in defence.

Palace thought they had a second when Muñoz followed up his own deflected effort to finish, but VAR ruled it out for offside after the ball had struck Ismaila Sarr en route.

Ten minutes of added time ramped up the tension, but when the whistle finally blew, the red and blue half of Wembley erupted.

Manager Oliver Glasner remained composed after the match but was full of pride:

“When you play this game 10 times, you win it once — and today, it was us. I’m proud of every single one of them. We stuck together and now we’ve made history.”

His tactical masterclass — inviting pressure and striking with precision — paid off. Palace had already eliminated Fulham, Aston Villa, and Millwall en route to the final, and this capped a fairytale journey in stunning fashion.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for Palace, who didn’t register a Premier League win until late October. They now end the season with silverware, a European place, and their highest-ever Premier League points tally. Eze and Henderson were the stars at Wembley, but it was a collective effort that brought the cup back to SE25.

At long last, Crystal Palace are not just contenders — they are champions.

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If you haven’t seen the BBC closing montage, sit back and enjoy ???????? #CPFC pic.twitter.com/hJZfySb5Ec

— // (@aggzzx) May 17, 2025

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