Crystal Palace defeated Manchester City 1-0 in the 2024-25 FA Cup final on Saturday, May 17, 2025, securing the FA Cup trophy and their first major trophy in the club’s 119-year history.
Crystal Palace caught Manchester City off guard in the 16th minute with a beautifully crafted goal.
Jean-Philippe Mateta linked up with Daniel Muñoz, whose pinpoint cross found Eze, who calmly slotted the ball past Stefan Ortega from 15 yards.
Crystal Palace’s goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, was outstanding between the posts to keep Manchester City from finding the back of the net.
Despite a controversial moment where he escaped a red card for handling the ball outside the box, Henderson redeemed himself by saving a first-half penalty from Omar Marmoush.
His series of crucial saves, including a stunning stop from Jeremy Doku just before halftime, kept Palace’s lead intact.
A second Palace goal by Muñoz was disallowed for offside, but the Eagles held firm through 10 minutes of added time to secure the historic win.
This Crystal Palace FA Cup victory marks the club’s first major silverware, ending a 119-year wait.
The victory also secures Crystal Palace a spot in next season’s UEFA Europa League, marking their first European campaign since the 1998 Intertoto Cup.
For Manchester City, the defeat means their first season without a major trophy since 2016-17, Pep Guardiola’s debut campaign with the club.
Reacting to the victory, Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish, said: “Unbelievable. We owe them [Crystal palace] a trophy and we got them one today.
“This for everyone that has sent me a bit of encouragement when it has been going badly, all the people that don’t just have a go at you, all the people that believe – this is for them.
“I am so proud. The team, the fans, I honestly believed that we would win. That’s what Oliver’s [Glasner] done. He made us all believe. You could see it at the end.
“It is great for the cup, come on!”
