By KBC Associate 
Eberechi Eze’s clinical 16th-minute strike gave Crystal Palace their first major trophy in the FA Cup final 2025 and ensured Manchester City will finish a campaign without major honours for the first time since 2016/17.
Palace spent much of the game under pressure but scored with their first meaningful attack when Eze fired in first time from inside the box, meeting Daniel Munoz’s cross with a fierce right-footed finish beyond Ederson for his sixth goal in five appearances.
City won a first-half penalty when Tyrick Mitchell brought down Bernardo Silva, only for Dean Henderson to turn Omar Marmoush’s spot kick away after the forward had been handed the ball by regular taker Erling Haaland.
Henderson had been fortunate to stay on the pitch when the England goalkeeper handled the ball outside the penalty area, but Palace were only denied a second early in the second half when a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check on Munoz’s strike ruled Ismaila Sarr had been offside.
EZE!!!!
CRYSTAL PALACE ARE IN FRONT AT WEMBLEY 🔥#FACup pic.twitter.com/cEw7voYVwK
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 17, 2025
FA Cup final 2025: Eze goal gives Eagles glory
In an action-packed final, City – the dominant team in English football between 2017 and 2024, entering their third straight FA Cup final – began with an abundance of possession and shots on goal, top scorer Haaland among the players denied by excellent Henderson saves.
January signing Marmoush fired his spot kick to Henderson’s right but the former Manchester United goalkeeper guessed correctly, springing to beat the effort away before returning to his feet to gather the ball from City’s attempt to capitalise from the rebound.
Haaland, who has missed three of his seven penalties in all competitions in 2024/25 including one at Bournemouth in the quarter-finals, appeared to decide against taking the opportunity, kissing the ball and Marmoush’s head while handing the opportunity to the Egypt striker.
While it was unclear whether City had arranged before the game for Haaland to step aside from duties, there appeared to be less confusion over Henderson’s indiscretion when he had pawed the ball outside the box to stop the two-time Premier League golden boot winner from breaking through, but a VAR review ended in no action being taken.
SAVED BY HENDERSON 🚫
Omar Marmoush misses from the spot ❌#FACup pic.twitter.com/PfvBowkW6V
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 17, 2025
2025 FA Cup final: Man City lose again
City have had a wretched season by the standards they have set since appointing Pep Guardiola in 2016 and this was another result and performance to forget, struggling to break down the impressively organised and resolute defence of opponents 23 points below them in the table.
The eight-time FA Cup winners looked more convincing in their determined efforts to equalise after the restart, but Palace continued to threaten on the break and from set pieces and were unfortunate not to score again through the reliably dangerous Munoz.
There was a sense of desperation to the introduction of 19-year-old debutant Claudio Echeverri in place of Marmoush 14 minutes from time, although the Argentina youth international was one of several players to have shots blocked inside the box during the closing stages.
City icon Kevin De Bruyne will also end his last season at the club without silverware. Palace’s achievement, holding off the playmaker and the rest of a team used to winning finals, ended in a deserved piece of history for the Eagles and the first new name on the FA Cup since Leicester City in 2021.