Crystal Palace seals historic FA Cup final win with 1-0 defeat of Manchester City

Crystal Palace has stunned Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final to win the first major trophy of its 164-year history.

At a sun-baked Wembley in front of delirious Palace supporters, Eberechi Eze volleyed home after 16 minutes against the run of play.

Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson performed heroics throughout the match, as 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.

After he struck again at Wembley, 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 player.

City's loss in the Cup final for a second successive season summed up a harrowing 2024/25 campaign in which it has been dethroned as the powerhouse of English football.

The club is without a domestic trophy for the first time in nine years.

In the final'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 decked in purple and blue, it was third time lucky after defeats in their previous two FA Cup final appearances in 1990 and 2016.

Oliver Glasner is the first Austrian manager to win the FA Cup. (Getty Images: Sebastian Frej)

Oliver Glasner took charge of the club 15 months ago and had experienced a poor start to this campaign with Palace failing to win a Premier League match until late October.

Now he is the first Austrian manager 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," Henderson said.

"Haaland might have stepped up [for the penalty] but he gave it to Marmoush. I knew which way he was going. I knew I would save it."

Crystal Palace, which traces its roots to 1861 and went professional in 1905, earns qualification to next year's Europa League with the Cup victory.

Reuters

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