In the Wembley sun, as the heat intensified on Manchester City, Pep Guardiola finally decided to turn to his substitutes' bench.
Phil Foden and Jack Grealish had been preparing up and down the touchline for when the call came. Two England internationals who have shone in this stadium many times before.
City were crying out for some magic. One-nil down to Crystal Palace, who were defending heroically in front of an inspired goalkeeper in Dean Henderson, the chances of ending a disappointing season with silverware was slipping slowly away.
With 75 minutes on the clock, Guardiola finally decided to make the change. A double substitution. First Foden and then . . . Claudio Echeverri. A 19-year-old handed his debut on the biggest stage.
Grealish sat motionless on the bench. Once the golden boy, now relegated behind a teenager yet to kick a ball for the club.
It was a stunning decision by the City boss, throwing the Argentine youngster into the fray ahead of the £100million man, but it perfectly summed up where Grealish's career is at now. His fall from grace completed, the message from Guardiola about his future and how little he rates and trusts him now totally understood.
It's a long way from two years ago when the attacker was a key player in the Treble-winning season, starting almost every game including the Champions League final. The golden boy's shine has faded dramatically.
Guardiola even plumped for Ilkay Gundogan as his last replacement ahead of Grealish, a 34-year-old on his last legs, a midfielder whose best days are the long behind him. It's hard not to draw the same conclusions about Grealish.
The 29-year-old will leave the Etihad Stadium this summer. He has two years left on his contract but is unlikely to be seen too often in Manchester. Wayne Rooney, working as a pundit for BBC summed it up when he said: "If I was Jack Grealish I'd be really concerned about my future at the football club, not getting on the pitch."
If City want a fee for him, they'll be lucky to get anything sizeable. A loan move seems the more likely option, and Grealish will back himself no doubt to follow Marcus Rashford's lead and show there is still life in the player yet.
Newcastle United have long been linked with signing Grealish this summer. People close to the player's camp have been open in letting everyone who asks - and those who don't - know how much the forward would love to move to Tyneside. [Chronicle Live were told two months ago](https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/jack-grealish-newcastle-united-transfer-31238570) that Grealish was 'open' to joining Eddie Howe's team, joining a manager who he feels can resurrect his career.
There are two school of thoughts around St James' Park. One says that Grealish offers a unique opportunity and would bring qualities and skills that Newcastle don't possess in their squad. Ahead of a European adventure next term, having a player of his skill and experience could be invaluable and excite fans who love their dribbling forwards.
The other school of thought, however, states that Grealish's current state is exactly the reason why they shouldn't sign him. A maverick individual who doesn't fit into Howe's high intensity framework, someone whose best days are behind him, someone whose lifestyle away from the pitch has caught up with him. A star that burned bright but now has fizzled away.
Guardiola is known for making left-field selection decisions, particularly around cup finals. But this has been a series of selection decisions over more than a year around Grealish.
The Spaniard doesn't get a lot wrong. This season may not have been his best but Howe and the Newcastle hierarchy should look very closely at the reasons why Guardiola has so brutally snubbed Grealish before they even consider bringing his huge salary to St James' Park.