Palace prevail over City to lift FA Cup crown

FE Team | Published: May 18, 2025 23:12:03

LONDON, May 17 (Reuters): Crystal Palace stunned Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday to win the first major trophy of their 164-year-old history thanks to a goal from local boy Eberechi Eze.
At a sun-baked Wembley in front of delirious Palace fans, local boy Eze volleyed home after 16 minutes against the run of play while goalkeeper Dean Henderson performed heroics in goal and City wasted a sack-load of chances including a penalty.
England forward Eze's goals in the last eight and semis had carried his team into the final for only the third time and after he struck again, Palace survived a City siege to spark a massive party for the south London fans.
"This is what dreams are made of, for me and this club. Who thought we could do it? We've made history," said Eze, who was rejected by Arsenal and other clubs as a youth.
City's second successive Cup final loss summed up a harrowing campaign in which they have been dethroned as the powerhouse of English football and will end without a domestic trophy for the first time since Pep Guardiola's first season in charge 2016-17.
"We will feel however we have to feel today, but tomorrow wake up strong and ready to go again," defender Ruben Dias said.
In the game's second decisive moment, Erling Haaland made way for Omar Marmoush to take a first-half penalty - but it was brilliantly tipped away by Henderson.
For Palace's massed ranks, it was third time lucky after defeats in their previous two FA Cup final appearances in 1990 and 2016.
Oliver Glasner took charge of the club 15 months ago and had suffered a poor start to this campaign with Palace failing to win a Premier league game until late October.
Now he is the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.
Palace had heroes aplenty, none more so than Henderson though he was perhaps lucky not to have been sent off in the first half.
"Incredible. We had a feeling it would be our day today. We deserve this so much," he said.