Dean Henderson reveals what he told Pep Guardiola after Manchester City boss refused to shake his hand after Crystal Palace’s FA Cup win

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson has spoken about the scope of his post-match conversation with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. This comes after the Eagles' record 1-0 FA Cup final win against the Cityzens at Wembley on May 17.

Following the final whistle, Guardiola seemed visibly upset and refused to shake Henderson's hand. He was believed to have been outraged at the goalkeeper's use of time-wasting throughout much of the match.

However, the Eagles won their first-ever FA Cup, and Henderson played a key role in the triumph. The goalkeeper described his conversation with Guardiola (via CityXtra on X):

"I just went to shake his [Pep Guardiola's] hand and I think he was disappointed with the time-wasting. I said, 'You got your 10 minutes you were wanting', so no hard feelings..."

The match was tainted with a chain of controversial incidents. During the first half, Henderson seemed to use his hand to push a ball outside his penalty box while trying to get it away from Erling Haaland. A VAR check discovered that the incident did not qualify for a red card, and so Henderson was allowed to stay on the field.

He later saved a penalty by Omar Marmoush, marking the first FA Cup final goalkeeper to do so since 2010, when Petr Cech did the same. Despite Manchester City dominating possession, they were unable to pierce Palace's solid defense.

Eberechi Eze's 16th-minute strike was the difference, and it gave victory to Palace. The win not only ended the club's 120-year search for a major trophy but also earned them a place in next season's UEFA Europa League.

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Pep Guardiola and Manchester City come to an end of a disappointing 2024-25 season

Manchester City finished a disappointing 2024–25 season with a 1–0 loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Their inability to win a trophy this season has only been worsened by their struggles in all competitions.

Currently, they sit in sixth on the Premier League table, and failure to win their final two games could see them miss out on the UEFA Champions League next season. They were defeated in the playoff rounds of the continental competition earlier this season, due to a loss to Real Madrid. They also lost in the Round of 16 of the League Cup to Tottenham Hotspur.

The only trophy that they have won this season is the Community Shield. However, it is the curtain raiser for the Premier League, and is often not counted as a major achievement. The upcoming Club World Cup will be an opportunity for Manchester City to reboot and gear up for a better campaign the next time around.