17 May 2025, 18:31 | Updated: 17 May 2025, 19:05
Crystal Palace have lifted their first-ever trophy
Crystal Palace have lifted their first-ever trophy. Picture: PA
By Henry Moore
Crystal Palace have won the FA Cup to lift the club's first-ever major trophy, beating Manchester City in a dramatic final.
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Eberechi Eze's first-half strike was enough to win Palace their first trophy in more than 110 years in a game that saw missed penalties, disallowed goals and handball controversy.
After a sustained period of City pressure, Palace struck first, with England star Eze's strike from the edge of the box putting the London club ahead.
Late in the first half, Manchester City were awarded a penalty, which January signing Omar Marmoush subsequently missed.
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Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi celebrates after the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday May 17, 2025.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi celebrates after the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday May 17, 2025. Picture: Alamy
Palace had a goal ruled out for offside early in the second half but were able to hold on, despite City having the vast majority of the ball and a hatful of chances.
The game was not without controversy, with the decision not to dismiss Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson over a handball branded "one of the worst in football history."
Henderson came to the edge of his area to confront Manchester City striker Erling Haaland during the first half at Wembley, with replays showing he had swiped the ball away with his hand while leaning out of his box.
Referee Stuart Attwell missed the incident and, although it was checked by VAR, it was deemed not to be a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity because of Haaland’s position.
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson celebrates after the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson celebrates after the Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, London. Picture: Alamy
Speaking on ITV, former Palace striker Ian Wright said: “How this is not denying a goalscoring opportunity, it’s absolutely pathetic. It’s crazy, he’s going to tap that past him and then he’s just going to tap that into the goal.
“Why are they making up these rules and saying it so eloquently? To confuse us? That’s supposed to be a sending off.”
Former City defender Joleon Lescott went even further in his assessment, adding: “That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in football. Because of the explanation, not because of the decision. To deem that is not a goalscoring opportunity, one of the most prolific goalscorers we’ve seen.”
For City, manager Pep Guardiola will have to wait for the 19th trophy of his tenure as his side’s defeat here caps a bitterly-disappointing campaign which could yet see them miss out on the Champions League next season.
It had started encouragingly for Guardiola’s players, who had Palace camped inside their own half for the opening quarter-of-an-hour with Haaland meeting Kevin De Bruyne’s cross after six minutes to force a decent save from Henderson.
The Palace stopper was called into action five minutes later when he stopped Josko Gvardiol’s header from Savinho’s corner. Manuel Akanji then headed over Savinho’s next set-piece inswinger and it seemed a matter of when, not if, a totally dominant City would open the scoring.
But suddenly, Palace were ahead. Jean-Philippe Mateta held up a long punt forward before he turned the ball round the corner to Munoz. The Colombia international’s pinpoint pass was met by Eze, who steered the ball past Stefan Ortega.
It marked only the second time Palace had crossed the halfway line and they might have doubled their advantage moments later, only for Ortega to save well from Ismaila Sarr.
The game was alive and following his early saves, Henderson was back in the spotlight, but this time for the wrong reasons when he handled the ball outside of the area to prevent Haaland from meeting Gvardiol’s long ball forward.
With only Henderson to beat, was Haaland denied a clear scoring opportunity? Controversially, VAR did not think so – claiming the ball was going away from the goal – and Henderson was in the clear.
City had every right to feel aggrieved, but they were then awarded a chance to wipe out Palace’s lead when Tyrick Mitchell’s sliding tackle missed the ball and took out Bernado Silva instead.
Referee Stuart Attwell hesitated momentarily before pointing to the spot. This time, VAR would not come to Palace’s rescue, but Henderson did, when he pulled off a strong one-handed save to deny Marmoush – and not Haaland who had kissed the ball before passing it to his team-mate – from 12 yards.
Haaland has now failed to score in six appearances at Wembley and in eight City finals.
With half-time approaching, man-of-the-hour Henderson was back in action when he produced a flying save to stop Jeremy Doku’s curling effort.
Palace started the second half just as they did the first – penned inside their own half. But, just as in the opening period, the south London club had the ball in the back of the net with their first attack on City’s goal.
Munoz’s thrash at goal deflected off Maxence Lacroix – and then Sarr – with a wrong-footed Ortega making the save before Munoz poked the rebound home.
However, wild scenes in the Palace end were curtailed when VAR intervened with Sarr in an offside position. Amid the frantic action on the pitch, there was chaos off it, too, as backroom staff from both teams had to be separated.
City were enjoying plenty of possession and De Bruyne presented Nico O’Reilly with a fine chance but he delayed his shot and Palace cleared their lines.
Front and centre in the first half, Henderson was not called into action until the 82nd minute.
But when he was, he was equal to the task as he denied 19-year-old substitute Claudio Echeverri from scoring on his debut, in normal time and then again in the sixth of 10 added on minutes on an afternoon, Henderson, nor anyone connected with Palace, will ever forget.