Crystal Palace stunned Manchester City in the FA Cup final to win their first-ever major trophy on Sunday evening.

All Palace needed was a deftly taken goal from Eberechi Eze and a couple of heroic stops from Dean Henderson to make history.

Manchester City came into the final on the back of a disappointing season, which saw them hit new lows under Pep Guardiola. The former Premier League champions looked to wipe away their lacklustre 2024/2025 campaign with silverware, but Palace had other ideas.

Guardiola's team bossed proceedings as expected but were vulnerable every time the Eagles launched a counterattack. The brilliant hold-up play by Jean-Philippe Mateta, Daniel Munoz's lung-bursting runs, Ismailla Sarr's pace and Eze's technical ability was the difference maker.

However, the game could have taken a different turn had Henderson been sent off in the first half. The former Manchester United goalkeeper was lucky to remain on the pitch after he handled the ball outside his penalty area.

The England international was caught in two minds, and with Erling Haaland bearing down on him, he parried the ball away with his hands. Replays show that he made contact outside his area, which is supposed to be a punishable offence.

Referee Stuart Atwell didn't spot it in real time, but VAR Jarred Gillett avered that Henderson had not denied Manchester City a clear goalscoring opportunity and therefore recommended no further action.

"The direction in which Erling Haaland was going made it possible, but not an obvious goal scoring opportunity," read a statement from VAR as read by Gary Lineker.

The laws of football dictate that a goalkeeper must be punished if he stops a goalscoring opportunity.

"The goalkeeper must be sanctioned if the offence stops a promising attack or denies an opponent or the opposing team a goal or an obvious goal-scoring opportunity," reads section 12 of the handbook.

VAR Gillett ruled that Haaland's direction wasn't towards the goal despite there being no covering defenders.

The England international was on song for Oliver Glasner's men, pulling off a series of smart saves to thwart the Citizens' cavalry.

He saved Haaland's acrobatic effort from a delicious Kevin De Bruyne pass before saving Omar Marmoush's penalty. Haaland surprisingly passed the opportunity to the Egyptian, but Henderson was equal to he challenge.

He also saved Jeremy Doku's curler and a couple of other point-blank stops from debutant Claudio Echeverri in the second half.

Source: TUKO.co.ke