Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze ignited a euphoric south London celebration by scoring the only goal in a stunning 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final, delivering the club’s first major trophy in its 119-year history.
Eze’s superb 16th-minute volley, entirely against the run of play, proved decisive on a pulsating afternoon at Wembley. While City dominated possession and chances, they found no way past goalkeeper Dean Henderson, whose heroic performance, including a vital penalty save, kept Palace’s dream alive.
Palace had only reached the final twice before—falling short in 1990 and again in 2016—but this time, under manager Oliver Glasner, they defied the odds to make history. Glasner, appointed just 15 months ago, also becomes the first Austrian coach to win the FA Cup.
City started with attacking intent, forcing Palace deep and carving out early opportunities. Kevin De Bruyne, in his final Wembley appearance for City, orchestrated wave after wave of attacks. Henderson denied Erling Haaland with a stunning save and also beat away Josko Gvardiol’s powerful header.
Then, in a moment that flipped the script, Palace launched their first meaningful attack. Jean-Philippe Mateta played in Daniel Muñoz, whose cross was met perfectly by Eze, who lashed a first-time volley past Stefan Ortega to send the Palace supporters into raptures.
City had a golden chance to level when Bernardo Silva was brought down by Tyrick Mitchell, but Omar Marmoush’s weak penalty was saved by Henderson, adding to City’s growing frustration.
Despite having just 19% possession in the first half, Palace maintained their slender lead through sheer grit and determination. Muñoz thought he’d doubled the advantage after the break, but VAR ruled his effort out for offside. Ismaila Sarr also came close, but Ortega kept City in it.
As the clock ticked down, Henderson continued to shine, notably tipping over Jeremy Doku’s curling strike. Palace weathered 10 minutes of stoppage time, surviving wave after wave of pressure before referee Stuart Attwell blew the final whistle—unleashing scenes of unbridled joy.
Marc Guehi and Joel Ward lifted the trophy in front of jubilant fans, as the club’s anthem Glad All Over echoed around Wembley.
Manchester City, meanwhile, finish the season trophyless for the first time since 2016–17—a stark fall for a team that once seemed untouchable.
But this day belonged to Crystal Palace. To Eze. To Henderson. To a team that dared to dream—and delivered.