The Eagles claimed their first-ever trophy after 120 years. Crystal Palace defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final, ending a 120-year wait for a major title. The winning goal came from Eberechi Eze in the first half.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson put on a brilliant performance, keeping Manchester City from equalizing as Palace held onto their one-goal lead throughout the match.
After some VAR review for a handball, Henderson, who made several key saves, also stopped Omar Marmoush’s penalty attempt. He was the hero of the game, denying City multiple scoring chances.
But what Palace will remember most is making history under manager Oliver Glasner by finally breaking their 120-year trophy drought.
Crystal Palace: Match Overview, Key Players and Performances
Crystal Palace: Oliver Glasner received a major boost as Adam Wharton returned to full fitness, allowing Crystal Palace to field the expected lineup. Eberechi Eze and Ismaila Sarr supported Jean-Philippe Mateta, who started next to Daichi Kamada.
A brilliant pass from De Bruyne to the far post, followed by an audacious volley, created Haaland’s first major chance of the game, forcing goalkeeper Dean Henderson to make a crucial save and push the ball for a corner.
Another standout for Palace was Richards, who excelled as the right central defender in a back-five formation. He played a key role in Palace’s clean sheet, registering 40 touches and completing 82% of his passes throughout the 90 minutes.
Crystal Palace are the @EmiratesFACup 2025 CHAMPIONS 🏆 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/BbIwgasmTW
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) May 17, 2025
Along with making four blocks and recording 12 clearances from defense, he successfully completed five passes into the final third of the field.
With two Premier League games remaining against Wolverhampton and Liverpool, Palace will first celebrate their FA Cup victory over the weekend before preparing for the upcoming matches next week.
