Eze's early strike seals historic FA Cup triumph for Crystal Palace at Wembley

Wembley, May 17 (IANS) Crystal Palace etched their name into English football folklore on Saturday as they stunned Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final to lift their first-ever major trophy in 164 years, at the Wembley Stadium.

Eberechi Eze was the hero at Wembley, scoring the decisive goal in the 16th minute to deliver a moment of glory that will be remembered for generations in south London.

Eze latched onto a clever pass and weaved through the City defence before calmly slotting past Stefan Ortega to send the Palace end into delirium. His goal was not just a spark of brilliance, but the foundation of a monumental upset against a City side that had dominated domestic football for nearly a decade.

Manchester City responded with urgency and nearly found a way back into the game when Erling Haaland broke through on goal, only for Palace keeper Dean Henderson to controversially handle the ball outside the penalty area.

Referee Stuart Attwell initially let play continue, and though VAR intervened, it was eventually ruled that Henderson had not denied a clear goalscoring opportunity, sparing him a red card. Just minutes later, Henderson further justified that decision by saving a penalty from Omar Marmoush after a Palace handball inside the box.

The second half saw City push relentlessly for an equaliser, but Pep Guardiola’s decision to go without a holding midfielder left his side exposed in transition. Palace thought they had doubled their lead through Daniel Munoz in the 58th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.

City threw everything forward in the closing stages, including teenage sensation Claudio Echeverri, but Henderson stood tall again, producing two outstanding late saves to preserve the Eagles' slender lead.

The final whistle sparked scenes of unbridled joy among Palace players and fans alike. For a club that helped found the FA Cup in 1871 and played in its first semi-final, this was a full-circle moment – their first major trophy, their first FA Cup, and a ticket to the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League.

For Pep Guardiola, it marked the end of a glittering eight-year streak of winning at least one major trophy per season with Manchester City, as Palace completed one of the biggest upsets in modern FA Cup history.

--IANS

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