FA Cup Final 2025: Crystal Palace defeat Man City in major upset
Crystal Palace win their first major trophy by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley stadium.
Crystal Palace's Joel Ward and Marc Guehi with the trophy as they celebrate with teammates after winning the FA Cup
Crystal Palace's Joel Ward and Marc Guehi with the trophy as they celebrate with teammates after winning the FA Cup [Andrew Boyers/Reuters]
Published On 17 May 2025
17 May 2025
Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze sparked a massive south London party by scoring the only goal to win the FA Cup 1-0 against Manchester City and claim the club’s first major trophy in their history.
Local man Eze volleyed in after 16 minutes, former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson performed heroics in the Palace goal, and City contrived to waste a sack-load of chances, including a penalty, in an enthralling final on Saturday.
After England forward Eze, whose goals in the last eight and semis fired his team into the final for the third time, scored completely against the run of play, Palace had to survive a City siege to spark wild celebrations
Omar Marmoush had a first-half penalty saved by Henderson as City lost in the Cup final for a second successive season, summing up a harrowing campaign in which they have been dethroned as the powerhouse of English football and will go without a domestic trophy for the first time since 2016-17.
For Palace’s massed ranks decked in purple and blue, it was a day of unbridled joy as Oliver Glasner’s team rode their luck to make it third time lucky after suffering defeats in their previous two FA Cup final appearances in 1990 and 2016.
Glasner, who took charge of the club 15 months ago, becomes the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.
City have been a pale imitation of the side that has dominated the English game for most of the past decade.
But the way they began at Wembley suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side were determined to prove that talk of their demise had been greatly exaggerated.
Having picked an ultra-attacking lineup shorn of defensive midfielders, City hemmed Palace deep inside their own half for the opening 15 minutes with Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings on what was his last Wembley appearance in City’s colours.
FA Cup Final 2025: Crystal Palace defeat Man City in major upset
Crystal Palace win their first major trophy by beating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final at Wembley stadium.
Crystal Palace's Joel Ward and Marc Guehi with the trophy as they celebrate with teammates after winning the FA Cup [Andrew Boyers/Reuters]
Published On 17 May 202517 May 2025
Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze sparked a massive south London party by scoring the only goal to win the FA Cup 1-0 against Manchester City and claim the club’s first major trophy in their history.
Local man Eze volleyed in after 16 minutes, former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson performed heroics in the Palace goal, and City contrived to waste a sack-load of chances, including a penalty, in an enthralling final on Saturday.
After England forward Eze, whose goals in the last eight and semis fired his team into the final for the third time, scored completely against the run of play, Palace had to survive a City siege to spark wild celebrations.
Omar Marmoush had a first-half penalty saved by Henderson as City lost in the Cup final for a second successive season, summing up a harrowing campaign in which they have been dethroned as the powerhouse of English football and will go without a domestic trophy for the first time since 2016-17.
Palace deserve day of glory
The greatest day in Palace's history was richly deserved and reward for faith in the work of Glasner, who has masterminded their superb run to FA Cup glory.
Palace did not win their first Premier League game this season until 27 October, but faith in the Austrian never wavered and the payback is this big prize - as well as a place in the Europa League next season.
Eze and Henderson have been two standout heroes on the road to Wembley, and they inspired the Eagles once again as City were punished at one end and thwarted at the other.
Eze provided the moment of magic, as he did in the quarter-final win at Fulham and the semi-final win against Aston Villa at Wembley, pouncing ruthlessly on Munoz's cross to leave Stefan Ortega helpless.
City will forever believe Henderson should have seen red when he clawed the ball away from Haaland in the first half, but VAR ruled otherwise and Henderson produced an otherwise faultless display in front of watching England head coach Thomas
Tuchel.
Crystal Palace’s English midfielder Eberechi Eze, right, watches his shot into the net as he scores the opening goal [Adrian Dennis/AFP]For Palace’s massed ranks decked in purple and blue, it was a day of unbridled joy as Oliver Glasner’s team rode their luck to make it third time lucky after suffering defeats in their previous two FA Cup final appearances in 1990 and 2016.
Glasner, who took charge of the club 15 months ago, becomes the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.
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City have been a pale imitation of the side that has dominated the English game for most of the past decade.
But the way they began at Wembley suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side were determined to prove that talk of their demise had been greatly exaggerated.
Having picked an ultra-attacking lineup shorn of defensive midfielders, City hemmed Palace deep inside their own half for the opening 15 minutes with Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings on what was his last Wembley appearance in City’s colours.
Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson saves Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush’s penalty kick [Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images]His lofted ball picked out Erling Haaland, whose stretching effort at the far post was brilliantly saved by Henderson, who also shortly afterwards beat out Josko Gvardiol’s header.
Palace finally broke the siege, and in their first foray beyond the centre circle, they ripped through City’s lines.
Jean-Philippe Mateta played in Daniel Munoz, and his cross was met by Eze, who flashed a first-time volley past Stefan Ortega to provoke an eruption of noise from the Palace fans.
Ismaila Sarr nearly made it 2-0, but Ortega saved, and Palace’s hearts were in their mouths when Henderson appeared to have handled the ball outside his area under pressure from Haaland, but a subsequent VAR check spared him a possible red card.
There was no escape for Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell when he tripped Bernardo Silva, and referee Stuart Attwell pointed to the spot. Surprisingly, Haaland did not take it and instead Omar Marmoush stepped forward for his first penalty since joining City in January, but his effort lacked conviction and Henderson dived to his right to save.
Henderson made a flying save to keep out Jeremy Doku’s curling effort as Palace reached half-time ahead despite having only 19 percent of possession.
Munoz thought he had made it 2-0 just past the hour mark, but a lengthy VAR check ruled his effort out for offside.Seven-time winners City went close numerous times after the break, with Henderson and his defenders performing heroics to preserve Palace’s lead.A
huge groan went up from the Palace fans as 10 minutes of stoppage time, but after more close shaves and nail-biting, the final whistle sounded and the club’s anthem Glad All Over bellowed around the stadium.
Eberechi Eze was Palace's hero when he crowned a superb counter-attack by sweeping home Daniel Munoz's cross after 16 minutes.
City, meanwhile, endured a day of total frustration as they failed to win a trophy in a season for the first time since manager Pep Guardiola's first campaign in charge in 2016-17.
They were furious when Palace keeper Dean Henderson was not shown a red card when he handled outside his area under pressure from Erling Haaland in the first half, the video assistant referee (VAR) adjudging that City's striker was moving away from goal and therefore not denied a clear opportunity.
Henderson then emerged as Palace's hero when he saved Omar Marmoush's penalty after 36 minutes following Tyrick Mitchell's foul on Bernardo Silva, Haaland stepping aside from spot-kick duties after failing with three of his past seven attempts.
City dominated possession but Oliver Glasner's side defended magnificently, with Henderson outstanding, saving from Haaland, Josko Gvardiol and Jeremy Doku in the first half, then denying Claudio Echeverri after the break.
When he dived to his right to save Marmoush's penalty, Henderson became the first keeper to save a penalty in an FA Cup final - excluding shootouts - since Petr Cech for Chelsea against Portsmouth in 2010.
City may have held sway in possession, with 78% compared to Palace's 22%, but when it mattered Eze produced the goods again.
Munoz was another standout performer for Palace, whose fans had to go through 10 agonising minutes of additional time before the memories of losing FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016 could be banished.
Glasner's reaction, like his management, was calm and measured, while joy exploded for Palace elsewhere.
There were tears of joy on the pitch and in the stands as Palace finally sampled the sweet taste of success.
The final whistle sparked scenes of ecstasy among Palace fans as the long wait for success was over for the Eagles.
End of an era for Man City?
City's FA Cup final display summed up their season of disappointment under Guardiola. It was laboured, faltering and came up short.
There was the heavy scent of the end of an era for a great side as there was no glorious last hurrah for Kevin de Bruyne, whose City career is coming to a close, while Silva may also come into the same category.
City, as expected, dominated the ball, but there was a lack of snap and urgency in their play and they can have few complaints apart from perhaps the injustice they will feel about Henderson's handball.
It was also another miserable Wembley day for Haaland, who has failed to score in six games at Wembley or in eight finals for City.
It was a major surprise when he passed on penalty duties to strike partner Marmoush, whose unconvincing effort was saved by Henderson.
This was surely the time and place for Haaland, the main man, to step forward and assume responsibility.
This is the second year in a row City have lost the FA Cup final, after losing to Manchester United last season.
Guardiola cut an irritated figure, appearing to exchange words with Henderson after the final whistle.
City must now refocus quickly for Tuesday's Premier League game at home to Bournemouth, with work still to do to finish in the top five and qualify for next season's Champions League.
For a club so used to success, finishing without a trophy is bad enough. Failure to reach Europe's elite tournament would represent a catastrophe.
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