Crystal Palace defeats Manchester City to win first FA Cup in 120 years

Crystal Palace has ascended to the pinnacle of a major tournament for the first time in its 120-year history, lifting the trophy after defeating Manchester City.

Palace defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the England FA Cup final for the 2024-2025 season, held on the 18th at Wembley Stadium in London, UK.

With this victory, Palace has secured its first major tournament trophy since its establishment in 1905. Until now, it had only won the England Championship (second division) and League One (third division). When it comes to the FA Cup, this is the first victory in its 164-year history since its establishment in 1871. With this victory, Palace will compete in the UEFA Europa League (UEL) for the first time next season.

Palace started with a 3-4-2-1 formation. Jean-Philippe Mateta, Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr, Tyrick Mitchell, Daichi Kamada, Adam Wathen, Daniel Muñoz, Marc Guéhi, Maxim’s Lacroix, and Crystal Richards, along with Dean Henderson, were among the starters.

Manchester City opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Erling Haaland, Jérémie Doku, Omar Marmoush, Sabinyu, Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Nico O'Reilly, Josko Gvardiol, Ruben Dias, Manuel Akanji, and Stefan Ortega were included in the starting lineup.

From the start, Manchester City pressed hard, but Henderson's spectacular saves thwarted their efforts. In the 6th minute, Haaland connected with De Bruyne's early cross, but Henderson dove to make a save. In the 12th minute, Gvardiol's header was also cleared by Henderson. In the 14th minute, Akanji's shot went over the goal.

After holding firm, Palace struck first with a counterattack. In the 16th minute, Muñoz raced down the right flank and crossed into the box. Eze finished it off with a non-stop shot, rippling the net.

Riding the momentum, Palace aimed for a second goal. In the 20th minute, Muñoz overlapped once again and delivered a low cross into the box. Sarr skillfully redirected the ball, but Ortega made a save.

A controversial moment occurred. In the 23rd minute, during a counterattack opportunity for Manchester City, Gvardiol sent an accurate long pass forward, and Haaland broke through the defensive line and sprinted. However, Henderson swiftly used his hand to clear the ball. Although slow-motion footage suggested that Henderson's hand appeared to be outside the box, the referee allowed the game to continue.

Manchester City missed a golden opportunity to equalize. In the 33rd minute, Silva fell in the box after a tackle from Mitchell, and the referee immediately awarded a penalty kick. Originally the kicker, Haaland ceded the duty to Marmoush, but Marmoush's shot was stopped by Henderson.

Henderson's show of saves continued. In the 43rd minute, Doku broke through on the left side of the box with a personal dribble and took a curling shot with his right foot. However, Henderson again dived to make the save. The first half saw Palace lead 1-0, having recorded only 19% possession.

Manchester City continued to knock on Palace's door in the second half. In the first minute, Doku's shot was blocked, and in the 4th minute, Doku's volley also went over the bar. After that, Palace solidified its defense and held firm.

Palace shook the net again. In the 13th minute, during a corner kick attack, the ball flowed backward, causing a chaotic situation. Muñoz rushed in and shot the ball, which deflected off Sarr. Muñoz took another shot, but it was canceled due to offside.

Manchester City could only lament. In the 30th minute, De Bruyne sent a forward pass into the box. However, O'Reilly's timing for a shot was slightly delayed, falling victim to a defensive tackle. Needing a goal, manager Pep Guardiola substituted Phil Foden and Claudio Echeverri in place of Sabinyu and Marmoush in the 31st minute.

Henderson did not easily allow Manchester City to score. In the 37th minute, Echeverri had a crucial chance inside the box, but his shot headed straight for the goalkeeper.

Palace's goal remained untouched. In stoppage time, De Bruyne's long-range shot went wide of the goal, and Echeverri's shot was also saved by Henderson. Ultimately, the match concluded with Palace's 1-0 victory, having preserved Eze's opening goal until the end.

Oliver Glasner, the Palace manager who made history, said after the match, "Everyone did an incredible job for the club. This is a special motivation. We wanted to make history, and I really feel like we’ve written a significant chapter now. Next season, we will play in the Europa League for the first time." He added, "Honestly, the pressure from Manchester City was too strong. The added time of 10 minutes felt really long. But today was Palace's day."

On the other hand, Manchester City finished the season trophyless for the first time in 8 seasons since the 2016-2017 season. It was the second trophyless season in Guardiola's career. He said, "Congratulations to Palace on their first FA Cup victory. That is history. We created many opportunities, but we couldn't score, so we couldn't win. Since we didn't win, the game plan was ineffective. But there's no regret."

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