In a historic triumph at Wembley, Crystal Palace clinched their first-ever major title with a stunning 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The decisive moment came early, as Eberechi Eze volleyed home in the 16th minute, sparking euphoric celebrations across South London.
Eze, a local hero and driving force in Palace’s run to the final, capitalized on a rare early attack to give his side the lead against the flow of play. Manchester City, dominant in possession and packed with attacking talent, created a barrage of chances but were repeatedly thwarted by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who delivered a performance for the ages.
Despite relentless pressure, including a penalty miss from Omar Marmoush and several close-range efforts, City couldn’t find a way past Henderson. The former Manchester United shot-stopper denied Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol in the first half, then saved Marmoush’s spot-kick after Tyrick Mitchell brought down Bernardo Silva.
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Palace, led by manager Oliver Glasner—now the first Austrian to lift the FA Cup—stood firm despite City enjoying 81 per cent possession. Glasner, who took over just 15 months ago, guided his side through a storm of City attacks with tactical discipline and defensive resilience.
City, who have dominated English football in recent years, have now gone two consecutive seasons without an FA Cup win and will end this campaign without any domestic silverware—a rare drought for Pep Guardiola’s men.
The match opened with City in total control, pushing Palace deep into their own half. Kevin De Bruyne, playing his final Wembley match for City, orchestrated early chances, including a lofted pass to Haaland that forced an acrobatic save from Henderson.
But Palace struck against the run of play when Jean-Philippe Mateta and Daniel Muñoz combined on a counterattack. Muñoz’s low cross was met by Eze, who rifled a first-time volley past Stefan Ortega.
Palace nearly doubled their lead moments later through Ismaïla Sarr, but Ortega was equal to the challenge. Henderson had a scare when he appeared to handle outside his area under pressure from Haaland, but a VAR review spared him further punishment.
City’s chance to draw level came before halftime via the penalty spot, but Marmoush’s tame effort was saved by Henderson, who guessed correctly and palmed it wide. The save sent Palace fans into delirium and added to the growing sense that this might finally be their day.
City continued to dominate after the break, but Henderson made a spectacular diving stop to deny Jérémy Doku. Muñoz thought he had doubled the lead midway through the second half, but a lengthy VAR check ruled the goal out for offside.
As the match entered a nerve-racking 10 minutes of stoppage time, Palace defended with everything they had, repelling wave after wave of City attacks. When the final whistle finally blew, the stadium erupted to the sound of “Glad All Over” as Palace players and supporters celebrated a moment they had waited over a century for.
It was third time lucky for Palace, who had fallen short in FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016. On this unforgettable day, they rewrote their history, at the expense of a faltering football juggernaut.
