- Dhaka
Manchester City's difficult season ended in disappointment after a surprising 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, resulting in a rare trophyless year for the English giants.
Despite spending nearly 200 million euros during the January transfer window to try and turn things around, City failed to win any major trophies this season — missing out on the Premier League, Champions League, and domestic cups for the first time since 2016-17.
Eberechi Eze’s early goal was enough to shock Pep Guardiola’s team. City also missed a big chance to equalize when Omar Marmoush’s penalty was saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson in the first half.
It was surprising that Erling Haaland, the regular penalty taker, gave the spot-kick to Marmoush. The Egyptian forward hesitated before taking the penalty, allowing Henderson to save it and keep Palace in the lead.
This decision raised questions worldwide, with former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney criticizing Haaland’s mindset.
“Erling Haaland is a world-class striker, but when you compare him to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, they would never give away the ball like that,” Rooney said on BBC Sport. “That’s the difference — they are confidently selfish and want to score every game.”
Rooney also mentioned that playing at Wembley might have affected Haaland’s confidence. “Maybe the pressure of taking a penalty at Wembley was too much for him. You never know, he is human.”
Rooney was also angry about a controversial moment earlier when Palace keeper Henderson seemed to handle the ball outside the box.
“Just get rid of VAR,” Rooney said angrily. “They made a mistake and now they are trying to hide it. It was a clear red card, everyone can see that.”
After the game, Pep Guardiola said the penalty decision was made by the players on the field.
“They decided during the match. I didn’t speak with them,” Guardiola said. “It shows how they were feeling. Omar took a lot of time, which added pressure on himself, and Henderson made a great save.”
Saturday’s loss was City’s second FA Cup final defeat in a row and ended a frustrating season where they lost their dominance in English football.
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