FA Cup - Eze scored Marmush lost points Manchester City 0-1 and won the first championship in team history!

On May 17, 2025, Wembley Stadium witnessed one of the most dramatic chapters in English football history. Crystal Palace won historic FA Cup championship with Eze's 16th minute win and goalkeeper Henderson's god-level save. This game not only ended Crystal Palace's 120-year championship drought, but also caused Manchester City to suffer an embarrassing ending of "the four majors are gone" in domestic competitions.

Eze broke the blitzkrieg, and Crystal Palace reproduced the classic counterattack

in just 16 minutes of the game, Crystal Palace showed extremely targeted tactical execution. Matta carried Guvadior near the center line and sent a straight pass like a scalpel. Muñoz inserted forward and passed the ball forward from the right highway, and Eze cleverly shot and shot. This goal perfectly interprets the tactical core that Vieira set up before the game - using the gap from Manchester City's full-back to push the defense through a simple long pass transfer. Data shows that Crystal Palace scored only three shots in the game, with a counterattack efficiency of up to 33%.

Eze's goal is not only a continuation of his five consecutive goals, but also breaks Manchester City's golden body that has only conceded 1 goal in the FA Cup this season. The 26-year-old Nigerian winger couldn't hide his excitement after the game: "Facing an opponent like Manchester City, you must seize every opportunity. God has given us the strength and made history."

Malmush lost points and Manchester City squandered golden opportunities

Manchester's decline reached its peak in the 36th minute. After the B seat broke through to create a point, the penalty kick taken by new player Marmush was lifted by Henderson in one hand. This mistake not only made Manchester City miss the opportunity to equalize, but also exposed the team's psychological shortcomings in key battles - Manchester City only hit 2 of 5 penalty kicks in the Premier League and the FA Cup this season, with a success rate as low as 40%.

Guardiola revealed after the game that the penalty kick was decided by Haaland and Marmush: "This is the player's own choice, and I respect their decision." But the Norwegian scorer's performance of 0 shots with 4 shots and 0 shots in the game obviously cannot match his reputation as the "No. 1 scorer in the Premier League". What is even more worrying is that Manchester City hit the target with only 3 17 shots in the game, with a ball possession rate of up to 78%, but failed to translate into goals, continuing the stubborn disease of "high ball possession and low efficiency" this season.

Henderson's controversial save caused heated discussion, and VAR became the focus

In the 24th minute of the game, Henderson saved a handball outside the penalty area and made Haaland's single-handed penalty and became the biggest controversy after the game. Slow motion shows Henderson touching the ball with his hand 0.3 meters outside the penalty area line, but when his save action occurs, the ball has obviously deviated from the goal direction. The VAR team did not intervene based on the rule of "not destroying absolute scoring opportunities", which caused strong dissatisfaction among Manchester City. Guardiola rarely had a cold face in the mixed interview area: "I have nothing to say about the referee."

Former Premier League referee Kratenberg pointed out: "VAR's intervention standards need to be clearer. If this is a handball in the penalty area, a penalty will inevitably be awarded, but the scale outside the penalty area is unclear." This controversy not only affects the progress of the game, but also exposes the complexity of football rules under technical intervention.

Viela's tactical defeat to Guardiola, and the tactical arrangement of the coach of Crystal Palace Vieira is textbook-level. Facing Manchester City's pass control system, he used a 5-4-1 iron barrel formation, and the double midfielder Dookure and Gallagher completed 9 interceptions in total, completely cutting off the connection between De Bruyne and Haaland. Data shows that Manchester City only scored 1 shot in the penalty area through sports games, a 67% decrease from the average this season.

What is more commendable is that Crystal Palace has shown amazing resilience on the defensive end. The three-center-back combination of Gey and La Croix successfully restricted Haaland, with the Norwegian winning only three of the 11 aerial confrontations, setting a new low for the season. Henderson used 6 key saves to keep De Bruyne's free kick, B-seat's long shot and other must-have goals.

120 years have been waiting for the dream to come true, and South London is in a carnival. When the final whistle sounds, the Crystal Palace fans at Wembley Stadium are in a boiling state. The team was founded in 1905 and both made it to the FA Cup finals twice before, but now it has finally realized its dream in the year of the century. The moment Captain Milivoevich held the trophy high, the giant TIFO in the stands of the "first 120-year championship" complemented the fans' golden fireworks, and the streets and alleys of South London turned into a sea of ​​joy.

This victory not only brought a trophy, but also allowed Crystal Palace to obtain the UEFA Cup qualification historically. Vieira gave a passionate speech in the locker room: "Today we wrote history! This championship belongs to everyone who believes in miracles." Manchester City's defeat means that there is no championship in a single season for the first time since 2016. Guardiola's tactical adjustments and player status issues need to be solved urgently.

Conclusion: The charm of football lies in the fact that there will always be a new story

When the generals of Manchester City left the court, Crystal Palace players were dancing cheerful dances around the trophy. This game once again proves that the charm of football lies not only in the gorgeous performances of top teams, but also in the miracles created by the weak with courage and wisdom. Eze's goal, Henderson's save, and Marmush's loss together constitute the most moving footnote in the FA Cup's centenary celebration. As Vieira said after the game, "The most wonderful thing about football is that there are always people creating history."