In a stunning upset, Crystal Palace clinched their first-ever major trophy by defeating Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The historic win was marked by a pivotal goal from Eberechi Eze in the first half, with the match ultimately serving as a disappointing conclusion to the career of Kevin de Bruyne, who is set to leave the club this summer.
Chris Richards, a defender for the U.S. Men’s National Team, played the full match, while teammate Matt Turner was the backup goalkeeper.
Palace’s performance was marked by strong teamwork, with an early goal coming just 16 minutes into the match. A slick passing sequence culminated with Eze scoring from a cross delivered by Daniel Munoz.
EZE OPENS THE SCORING FOR PALACE VS. MAN CITY IN THE FA CUP FINAL!
AN INCREDIBLE TEAM GOAL 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tSWPUgsEhy — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 17, 2025
Dean Henderson, the Palace goalkeeper, notably thwarted a penalty from City’s Omar Marmoush, maintaining his team’s slim lead and showcasing an impressive performance with six saves throughout the match. Despite Manchester City dominating possession and concluding the game with 23 shots, none resulted in a goal, sealing Palace’s triumph at Wembley Stadium.
This victory not only represents a remarkable achievement for the club but also concludes Manchester City’s pursuit of silverware this season for the first time since 2016-17.
