Football, more often than not, is defined by moments. On Saturday, Dean Henderson owned all of them. The Crystal Palace goalkeeper took centre stage at the FA Cup final; Manchester City exited Wembley stage left. Pep Guardiola's all-star cast fluffed their lines. Henderson and his Palace teammates nailed theirs.
Eberechi Eze may have scored the goal that secured Palace a first major trophy in the club's history, but Henderson was the game's central protagonist, the source of City's irritation, in more ways than one.
A series of superb stops, including a penalty save to deny Omar Marmoush, had Pep Guardiola livid. Not with his players – at least not publicly – but with Henderson himself. The Spaniard made a beeline for the Palace keeper after the final whistle, words exchanged that were as animated as they were unnecessary. Guardiola was fuming about Henderson's perceived time wasting, and almost certainly because the Palace stopper hadn’t been sent off for what looked like a clear handball outside the area. “I’m not the referee," was his terse response when asked whether Henderson should have walked for denying Erling Haaland what most would agree was a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Guardiola might have a point, but it's hard to argue with the result. Pep's all-conquering City side were beaten by a team who were incisive on the break and decisive when it mattered. Henderson’s defiance epitomised that.
Guardiola said he refused Henderson's offer of a handshake as he was upset at the England international's time wasting. Waste was a defining feature of the day; City had nearly 80 per cent possession and 23 shots but failed to make it count as they lost a second successive FA Cup final following last season's defeat against Manchester United.
Guardiola praised his players, though, saying: “We played really good. We did everything. Unfortunately we could not score.
“The first chance that they had in the transition [they scored]. We did everything but it’s about goals and they scored one so congratulations Crystal Palace.”
Maybe this is just a blip – a rare off year for a side that’s dazzled for nearly a decade. But maybe, just maybe, it’s something more. No team are more comfortable in possession than City but too often they looked devoid of ideas in the final third. So often dead certs, City now look uncertain.
That was evident in Haaland handing over penalty duties to Marmoush. Guardiola confirmed it was not his choice for the Egyptian to take the spot-kick over City's normal taker.
"They decided on the pitch, so I don't know. I didn't speak with them," Guardiola said.
In many ways, the game encapsulated City's season: Good, just not quite good enough. Haaland had described City's campaign as "horrific" in the week building up to Wembley. And while that may be an exaggeration, the fact remains that, by the club's incredibly high standards, 2024/25 has fallen way short.
For the first time since his debut season, City are poised to finish a season without a trophy in the Guardiola era. No domestic cup, no Premier League title, no European crown. Even Uefa Champions League qualification – once a given – is now in doubt. A game in hand offers a glimmer, but as it stands, City sit sixth. That’s a Europa League spot. And even that is assuming no shock collapse in the final weeks.
The threat of sanctions over alleged breaches of Premier League financial rules still hangs over the club like a dark cloud. City deny all charges, but with a verdict still pending, a season that has underwhelmed could spiral further.
