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Crystal Palace have emerged as winners of the FA Cup for the first time in their history—and it was Eberechi Eze who made it happen.
Eze scored the only goal of the game in the 16th minute to help Palace pull off a huge upset against Manchester City in the final at Wembley on Saturday.
His goal not only won the match but also wrote his name in the history books as the first Crystal Palace player to score a winner in a major cup final.
Palace held on for a 1-0 victory thanks to a strong team performance and a standout display from goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who made several key saves, including a penalty stop in the first half.
Dream start for Palace
Manchester City started the game strongly and looked likely to score early. Erling Haaland and his teammates created several chances, but Henderson stood firm in goal.
Then, out of nowhere, Palace hit back. Jean-Philippe Mateta held up a long ball and passed it to Daniel Muñoz, who found Eze in the box. Eze stayed calm and placed the ball past City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to give Palace the lead with their first real chance.
Minutes later, Palace nearly scored again, but Ortega saved a shot from Ismaïla Sarr.
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Henderson steps up
Henderson’s performance became even more important as the game went on. He was lucky not to be sent off after handling the ball outside the box to stop Haaland. VAR decided the ball was moving away from goal, so no red card was given.
Soon after, City got a penalty when Tyrick Mitchell fouled Bernardo Silva. Omar Marmoush stepped up to take it, but Henderson saved it brilliantly with one hand.
He wasn’t finished there. Late in the match, he made two more saves—both from 19-year-old Claudio Echeverri—to protect Palace’s narrow lead.
City struggle, Palace celebrate
City had most of the ball and kept pushing forward, but Palace stayed strong in defense.
They even thought they had scored a second goal through Muñoz, but it was ruled out by VAR for offside.
City created a few more chances, but couldn’t find a way past Henderson.
ALSO READ: FA Cup: Manchester United surprise City to win 13th title
When the final whistle was blown, the Palace players and fans erupted in celebration.
A special day for Eze and Palace
Eberechi Eze’s goal and calm performance made him the star of the day. It was a proud moment for the 25-year-old, who helped deliver the club’s first major trophy and secure a spot in the Europa League next season.
For City and Pep Guardiola, the loss was a big disappointment and marked the second straight domestic cup final they’ve lost.
But for Palace, led by manager Oliver Glasner, this is a day no one connected to the club will ever forget.
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