Eze fires Palace to historic FA Cup glory over Manchester City

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze ignited a massive South London celebration by scoring the only goal in a stunning 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday, securing the club’s first major trophy in its history.

Eze volleyed home in the 16th minute, and former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson delivered a heroic performance to preserve the lead as City squandered numerous chances—including a penalty—in an enthralling final at Wembley.

According to ESPN, Eze’s goal, which came against the run of play, added to his decisive strikes in the quarterfinal and semifinal. Palace then endured a relentless City onslaught to secure a historic triumph and spark wild celebrations.

“This is what dreams are made of, for me and this club,” said Eze, who was rejected by Arsenal and other clubs as a youth player. “Who thought we could do it? We’ve made history,” he added.

City’s Omar Marmoush missed a first-half penalty, saved by Henderson, as the reigning Premier League champions ended the season without a domestic trophy for the first time since 2016–17—capping a frustrating campaign.

For Palace fans dressed in purple and blue, it was a moment of pure joy. Manager Oliver Glasner’s side rode their luck to make it third time lucky, having lost FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016. Glasner, appointed 15 months ago, became the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.

Although Manchester City showed glimpses of their old dominance—starting with an ultra-attacking lineup and pinning Palace back early—Henderson’s heroics kept them at bay.

Kevin De Bruyne, in his final Wembley appearance in City colors, orchestrated the early pressure, setting up Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol for chances that Henderson brilliantly denied.

Palace broke the siege with a sweeping move on their first attack.

Jean-Philippe Mateta played in Daniel Muñoz, whose low cross was volleyed home by Eze to send Palace fans into ecstasy.

City almost equalized before halftime when Tyrick Mitchell fouled Bernardo Silva, leading to a penalty.

Surprisingly, Haaland did not step up; Marmoush did, but his weak attempt was read and saved by Henderson.

“Incredible. We had a feeling it would be our day today. We deserve this so much,” said Henderson. “Haaland might have taken it, but he gave it to Marmoush. I knew which way he’d go. I knew I’d save it.”

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