LONDON - Crystal Palace stunned Manchester City with a 1-0 victory in the FA Cup final on Saturday, sealing their first-ever major trophy and compounding a season of frustration for Pep Guardiola’s side. Eberechi Eze’s clinical 16th-minute strike was the difference at Wembley, finishing off a rapid counter-attack with a superb volley past City keeper Stefan Ortega. But it was Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson who emerged as the true hero, producing a string of outstanding saves — including a crucial penalty stop — to preserve the lead.
City’s misery deepened when Henderson escaped a potential red card after a handball outside the box, a controversial VAR decision that proved pivotal. Moments later, the keeper denied Omar Marmoush from the spot after Tyrick Mitchell’s clumsy foul on Bernardo Silva.
Henderson continued to frustrate City, making key stops from Jeremy Doku and Claudio Echeverri to preserve Palace’s slender lead and deliver an unforgettable triumph. Under manager Oliver Glasner, Palace executed a perfect tactical game plan — defending deep, countering sharply, and exposing City’s vulnerabilities in transition. The win ends a 120-year wait for silverware and secures Palace a place in next season’s UEFA Europa League.
For Manchester City, the defeat caps a disappointing campaign. Sitting sixth in the Premier League and out of the Champions League, they now face an uphill battle to qualify for Europe’s top competition. Guardiola’s decision to go without a holding midfielder backfired once again, with Palace exploiting the gaps with clinical efficiency. “We played with talent, but lacked balance,” Guardiola admitted post-match, while Palace’s Eze called the win “a dream come true.”
Having previously lost FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016, Palace finally lifted the famous trophy — and did so in style, toppling one of Europe’s giants on football’s grandest domestic stage.