Eberechi Eze’s 16th-minute strike earned Crystal Palace their first major trophy in club history, as they edged Manchester City 1-0 in a dramatic FA Cup final at Wembley.
Palace took the lead with their first real foray forward. Jean-Philippe Mateta held up a long ball and played in Daniel Muñoz, whose perfectly weighted pass found Eze.
The midfielder calmly slotted past Stefan Ortega to stun City and ignite wild celebrations among the Palace faithful.
Despite being under heavy pressure for much of the match, Oliver Glasner’s side produced a resolute defensive display and relied on an inspired Dean Henderson in goal.
The Palace keeper made a crucial early stop from Erling Haaland and later denied Josko Gvardiol’s header, keeping his side in the game as City dominated possession.
Controversy soon followed. Henderson appeared to handle the ball outside his area to prevent Haaland from reaching a long ball, but VAR ruled no clear goalscoring opportunity had been denied, allowing the Palace goalkeeper to escape punishment.
City’s frustration grew when they were awarded a penalty after Tyrick Mitchell’s mistimed tackle brought down Bernardo Silva.
Omar Marmoush stepped up—despite Haaland appearing ready to take it—and Henderson produced a superb one-handed save to preserve Palace’s slender lead.
Henderson continued to shine, denying Jeremy Doku’s curling effort just before the break.
Palace once again found the net early in the second half when Muñoz followed up a deflected effort, but VAR chalked it off due to Ismaïla Sarr straying offside in the build-up.
Tempers flared on the sidelines, with staff from both teams having to be separated. Meanwhile, on the pitch, City continued to press for an equaliser.
Kevin De Bruyne set up Nico O’Reilly late on, but the youngster hesitated and Palace cleared.
Henderson, the undisputed star of the show, made two crucial saves from 19-year-old debutant Claudio Echeverri—first in the 82nd minute and again deep into stoppage time—to ensure a famous victory for the south London club.
For City and Pep Guardiola, it was a bitter end to a disappointing season that may yet conclude without Champions League qualification.
For Palace, history was made—not only with their first FA Cup win, but also a guaranteed place in next season’s Europa League.
