- Crystal Palace faced Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday afternoon
- Eberechi Eze’s first half goal helped Palace win their first ever major trophy
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Crystal Palace pulled off one of the biggest FA Cup final upsets in recent memory by beating Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Palace lifted the trophy for the first time and ensured the once dominant City ends the campaign empty-handed.
Eberechi Eze’s first-half strike also secured Palace’s first major trophy.
As cup final upsets go, it was up there with Wigan’s victory over City in 2013 and Wimbledon’s famous win against Liverpool in 1988.
The outcome might have been different if Omar Marmoush had converted a first-half penalty to level the score, but his effort was saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
The cup triumph came at the third time of asking for Palace, which lost its previous finals in 1990 and 2016, both to Manchester United.
Crystal Palace won their first ever major trophy as they beat Man City in the FA Cup final
Eberechi Eze’s first half goal was the difference on a memorable day for Palace at Wembley
The in-form Palace midfielder swept home Daniel Munoz’s pinpoint cross from the right side
City has suffered back-to-back defeats in the final, having lost to United last year.
While the result will go down as an upset, in the context of City’s season, it was just a latest disappointment.
A troubled campaign has seen Pep Guardiola’s team tamely surrender the Premier League title after four triumphs in a row and crash out of the Champions League in the playoffs.
City’s form has been so bad by its high standards that it is still in danger of failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League with two games to go.
Its priority now is to secure a place in the top five that would gain entry to European club soccer’s top competition, while the Club World Cup next month offers a shot at some glory in the offseason.
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Jubilant scenes occurred on the pitch at full-time as Palace pulled off a major upset
Palace lost their previous two FA Cup finals in 1990 and 2016, both to Man United before today
Palace were brilliant, but Omar Marmoush also missed the chance to equalise from the spot
Dean Henderson, who was in inspired form, made a stunning stop from Marmoush’s penalty
Erling Haaland had looked like he was going to take the penalty before giving the ball away
Henderson was lucky to stay on the pitch when he seemed to handle the ball outside the area
Munoz thought he had made it 2-0 in the second half when he pounced on a loose ball
But Palace’s celebrations were cut short when VAR ruled that Ismaila Sarr was stood offside
City weren’t at their best and the defeat capped off what has been a disappointing season
Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure on the touchline as his side struggled to create chances
But this was Palace’s day as Oliver Glasner led the club to a first major trophy in their history
