Crystal Palace wins the FA Cup: The third time’s the charm

Crystal Palace pulled off a miracle by winning their first-ever major title. To say the odds were against them would be an understatement. But that’s the magic of football, the unthinkable can always happen. On their third attempt, they finally had the last laugh.

As expected in the preview, Manchester City dominated the opening 15 minutes of the match, controlling possession and showing their usual sharpness of the multiple Premier League champions. But Crystal Palace never panicked, they stayed patient and stuck to their original plan.

And it paid off in the 16th minute, when Eberechi Eze met a low cross from Daniel Muñoz with a first-time finish. Jean-Philippe Mateta’s brilliance in holding up a long ball and playing a one-two with Kamada, who released the speedy Colombian fullback into space. A remarkable counter-attack move on display, one to be studied in academies.

The Crystal Palace supporters exploded with joy. Austrian coach Oliver Glasner had boldly declared in a press conference after their previous encounter, a 5–2 loss: “If we meet again, you can’t play in this system because we will solve it.” He proved to be a man of his word.

The stars delivered

From that moment, the Eagles grew into the match and even had a second-half goal disallowed for a marginal offside. In the meantime, Dean Henderson turned into a giant between the sticks, producing several crucial saves to preserve the lead — including a penalty stop against Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush.

Dean Henderson’s interventions proved to be key. (Photo via Fabrizio Romano Twitter).

The Palace backline showed remarkable resilience and bravery, especially Daniel Muñoz and Chris Richards. Muñoz, rewarded with a new contract until 2028 last month, locked down his flank with flair and consistently posed a threat going forward. Richards, the American centre-back, was a rock in defense, completing 12 clearances and winning 5 out of 7 duels.

The late introduction of Claudio Echeverri brought some threat to the Sky Blues, however, Henderson’s presence proved too much, as he kept his clean sheet with more crucial stops.

A date with history

Crystal Palace showed their credentials with a convincing 3-0 win against Aston Villa in the semifinals, making a strong statement against a team that competed fiercely against Champions League finalist Paris Saint-Germain.

They were ready; missing out today was not an option — and they did not. It was their third shot at glory, having fallen short in both previous finals against Manchester United (1990 and 2016).

This time, they were led by Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old attacking midfielder took charge, scoring the only goal of the afternoon. He continued his impressive streak of goals in the tournament, having scored in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Undoubtedly, the star of the competition. “This is special, this is what dreams are made of. Who would have thought we could do it?” he told ITV.

Eberechi Eze scored the decisive FA Cup goal. (Photo via AP)

In doing so, he carried on the legacy of past icons like Wilfried Zaha. Back in 2016, he was just 10 minutes away from success before Lingard’s late goal shattered their hopes. The Ivorian had been fundamental for the South London club over the years, and helped the club maintain Premier League status when the squad was not as strong as it is today.

The mastermind behind

Oliver Glasner is the key figure behind the success. The Austrian coach arrived in February last year and instantly improved the team and players. Despite losing a vital player in Michael Olise, who joined Bayern Munich for around €60 million last July, Glasner fought back with the addition of the talented Ismaila Sarr.

He proved crucial in transforming Jean-Philippe Mateta into a complete centre forward. The striker’s numbers speak for themselves: 14 league goals, several decisive moments and a call-up to the France national team for the Olympics last summer.

This title added another glorious chapter to his managerial career. He became the first Austrian coach to ever win the FA Cup, earning a place in history. Three years ago, he led Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League glory, beating Rangers 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. In the previous stages, he beat teams like Real Betis, West Ham and giants FC Barcelona — a winner in every sense.

The reactions

At times during the coach’s tenure, there were moments of tension and doubt after a short streak of poor results. However, the decision to keep the manager proved to be the right one. “We stuck by the manager because he’s an elite manager,” said Steve Parish, co-owner and chairman of Crystal Palace, in an interview with Sky Sports after the match.

Jean-Philippe Mateta was one of the key players in this success. He went from being a solid striker to one of the finest attackers in the league. “You know, we played against one of the best teams in the world and scored early in the game. To defend our goal for nearly 100 minutes, this is fantastic. I don’t have words to describe,” he revealed to Optus Sport.

Luke Weaser-Seychell, a content creator who goes by the name Luke Talks Palace on his YouTube channel, described the historic triumph as the greatest moment in the club’s history. “We are witnessing the peak of Crystal Palace at this current time, European football at Selhurst Park and away, amazing to see.” He emphasized just how special this moment is, something Palace fans never thought they’d witness in their lifetimes.

A worldwide passion

Mike, a die-hard CPFC fan from Alabama in the United States, reflected on the club’s success: “Winning that trophy was a real full circle moment for our supporters.”

He described it as a “very different feeling (for Palace fans), because we’ve devoted so much of our lives toward supporting this club despite knowing we might never see us lift a trophy”. 

Mike recalls his first connection to the club back in the mid-2010s, when he first started watching the Premier League. “What really got me hooked on Palace was the atmosphere at Selhurst Park and the passionate fanbase. Then, I started watching more and more games and was attracted to the style of football the club played at the time, led by Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie”.

A perfect balance between two mavericks and other players, perhaps less talented, but real hard workers. “It felt like the club represented South London really well,” he explained.

The long-awaited trip to Selhurst became a reality two years ago. “I finally made it to Selhurst in May 2023, and have been back twice since. I can honestly say a few people I’ve met through Palace are genuine friends of mine, and I cherish those relationships.”

The passion extends online too, as he has formed a real bond with fellow CPFC fans through Twitter. “The community I began forming here (X) made Palace even more worth my time,” he explained.

What’s next for the Eagles

Now the responsibility falls on those in charge to build on this success. Key players like Eze, Mateta, and Muñoz will definitely attract interest from bigger clubs this summer. If Palace hope to continue their rise, they must keep them and add fresh talent.

Securing their first-ever major trophy and a spot in next season’s Europa League, the smiles at Wembley belonged to Crystal Palace. They fully deserve to celebrate this historic moment.