Crystal Palace achieved a stunning upset, winning its first major trophy by defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final. This win marks Manchester City's first trophyless season since 2016-17.
Eberechi Eze scored the winning goal in the 16th minute, capitalizing on a swift counter-attack. Manchester City dominated possession but missed several scoring opportunities, including a penalty saved by Dean Henderson.
Crystal Palace's defensive resilience and Henderson's exceptional goalkeeping proved crucial in securing the victory. The match ended with Crystal Palace celebrating its historic win.
CNN  —Â
Crystal Palace has won its first major trophy after beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
For Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, the final loss represents a first trophyless season since the 2016-17 campaign.
Oliver Glasner’s side took the lead in the first half at Wembley Stadium in London when Eberechi Eze finished off a customary Crystal Palace counterattack.
Manchester City piled on the pressure for the remainder of the game and will regret passing on missed opportunities throughout – including a missed penalty from Omar Marmoush.
Crystal Palace took the lead in the 16th minute with a free-flowing goal its fans have grown accustomed to seeing during Glasner’s time in charge of the club.
The South London team went from back-to-front in lightning speed with a trademark counterattack.
Jean-Philippe Mateta held the ball up on the halfway line before finding full-back Daniel Muñoz galloping down Palace’s right-hand side with one of his customary bursts.
Muñoz looked up before delivering a low cross into the Manchester City box which found the onrushing Eze perfectly. The 26-year-old then swept the ball into the far corner of the net and sent the Crystal Palace fans into a state of delirium.
Manchester City dominated before the goal and continued to pile on the pressure at 1-0 down. Guardiola’s team was soon rewarded for its constant pressure when Bernardo Silva was brought down by Tyrick Mitchell in the Crystal Palace penalty area.
Marmoush stepped up to take the spot kick for Manchester City but saw his penalty brilliantly saved by Dean Henderson in the Palace goal.
Crystal Palace went in at the halftime break with a 1-0 lead, knowing it was 45 minutes from making history.
The second half saw more of the same with Crystal Palace defending doggedly to prevent a Manchester City equalizer.
Henderson continued to prove his worth in the Palace net, thwarting Manchester City efforts on countless occasions.
As time ran out, Manchester City ran out of ideas and Crystal Palace held on to seal a historic win for the club.
“It’s special,” matchwinner Eze told BBC Sport after the game. “I don’t even know what to say.”
This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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