Pep Guardiola surprised by Erling Haaland's penalty decision in FA Cup Final

LONDON: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed surprise over Erling Haaland's decision not to take a crucial penalty during the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, which City lost 1-0 on Saturday.

The victory marked Crystal Palace’s first major trophy in their 164-year history.

City had a golden opportunity to equalise after Bernardo Silva was brought down inside the box. Haaland initially picked up the ball but then handed it to Omar Marmoush, whose effort was saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Speaking after the match, Guardiola clarified that the decision was made collectively by the players on the pitch.

"They decided on the pitch," Guardiola said. "I don’t know. I didn’t speak with them. I thought he [Haaland] would take it. These are things for them to decide.

That moment—for a free kick, for a penalty—it depends on the feeling and confidence. They decided Omar was ready. Henderson made a good save."

Earlier in the match, Henderson escaped a red card after a VAR review. The goalkeeper had appeared to handle the ball outside the area while Haaland chased a long ball over Palace’s defence, but the incident was cleared after review.

Following the final whistle, Guardiola was seen exchanging heated words with Henderson, reportedly over time-wasting tactics.

"He defended his position, and we defended ours," Guardiola said. "Everyone can do what they want. Our job is to score goals. Congratulations to Henderson and Crystal Palace—they defended really well, and we couldn’t score."

The defeat caps off what Guardiola described as the club’s most challenging season under his tenure.

Manchester City currently sit sixth in the Premier League with two games remaining and have failed to qualify for the Round of 16 in the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League.