Crystal Palace Wins FA Cup, Adding to Guardiola's 'Annus Horribilis'

Manchester City suffered another setback this Saturday in the FA Cup final held at Wembley, adding to a season to forget. Crystal Palace secured a narrow victory thanks to Eberechi Eze's goal, claiming the first major trophy in their history. The match followed the season's trend, with Pep Guardiola's team lacking ideas and fortune. Meanwhile, Palace played with enthusiasm, and everything went right for Oliver Glasner's players in a match that will be unforgettable for the club.

The final began with both teams fully engaged, but in a brilliant move, Colombian full-back Daniel Muñoz reached the byline and delivered a cross for Eberechi Eze to score the solitary goal that secured Palace's triumph. The two protagonists of the play have been pivotal in the team's success. Muñoz has established himself as one of the best full-backs in England, and it remains to be seen if a bigger club will try to sign him. Similarly, Eze, with 13 goals and 11 assists this season, has become Palace's star and was decisive on the most important day of the year.

City tried to respond to the goal and attempted in every way possible, but they faced a wall in the opposing goal. Dean Henderson delivered an outstanding performance, even saving a penalty from Omar Marmoush. Surprisingly, Erling Haaland was not the one to take the penalty. These actions highlight the unusual nature of City's season and the lack of confidence among some players, who seemed incapable of turning the score around.

In the second half, a goal by Muñoz was disallowed, preventing further punishment for City. Guardiola surprised everyone by debuting Argentine Claudio Echeverri, who had not played a minute with the team in all of 2025, coming off the bench in the 75th minute. It was a bitter debut.

Winning the FA Cup will allow Crystal Palace to compete in the Europa League next season. On the other hand, City will fight for a Champions League spot in the last two Premier League matches. The situation for the Manchester side is concerning, but failing to qualify for Europe's top competition would be disastrous. The positive for Guardiola's team is that they depend on themselves, but the manager from Santpedor is experiencing an 'annus horribilis.'