Dean Henderson Reveals What He Said to Upset Pep Guardiola After FA Cup Final
Dean Henderson Reveals What He Said to Upset Pep Guardiola After FA Cup Final
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola refused to shake hands with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson after the FA Cup final.
Crystal Palace won their first-ever major trophy by overcoming Man City at Wembley, having been beaten in their previous two visits to the stadium for cup finals in 2016 and in 1990. Eberechi Eze finished off a blistering counter-attack move for the Eagles early in the first half which was enough to prove the difference.
City dominated possession throughout the match, but did nowhere near enough to overturn the one-goal deficit as the loss ensured that, for the first time in almost a decade, the club would finish a season without a trophy. Much of City’s failure to score, however, must be credited to Henderson in the Palace goal.
The shot-stopper had an exceptional match, which included Henderson saving a penalty from Omar Marmoush in the first half. Henderson never looked likely to be beaten and was a beacon of confidence for his team, though there is a very fair argument that the goalkeeper was lucky to even be on the pitch.
‘No Hard Feelings’
Henderson and Guardiola reflect on potential red card
During the first half, Henderson, in closing down Erling Haaland, inadvertently handled the ball just outside of his area. While the ball was going away from goal and it was seemingly just a natural coming together, there is no question that Henderson denied a goalscoring opportunity and as a result, should have been dismissed.
As such, Guardiola’s annoyance at Henderson is understandable, particularly given that City lost the final. Were Palace to have been without their number one and down to 10 men, it surely would have been a different match to the one that played out. On punditry, Wayne Rooney was vocal about his opinions on Henderson’s actions.
After the game, Henderson reflected on the incident, stating, as per Metro:
“I went to shake (Guardiola’s) hand. I think he was disappointed with the time-wasting. I said, ‘You got the 10 minutes you wanted. No hard feelings.’”
Guardiola, meanwhile, was asked about the potential sending off as well, though said very little on the matter after smiling at being asked the question. He simply stated:
“I’m not a referee.”
He also insisted that he had said nothing to Henderson.
Palace, in winning the FA Cup for the first time ever, have also ensured that they will be playing in the Europa League next season. It is a testament to the work that Oliver Glasner has done since joining the club in early 2024 and a reward for what has objectively been Palace’s best-ever season in the Premier League.
Guardiola, meanwhile, will no doubt recover from the loss, even if it takes time to comprehend ending a season without a trophy, such is his pedigree as a manager. It was clear at the full-time whistle, though, that he was less than impressed with Henderson’s antics and resultant luck in avoiding a red card.