Dean Henderson was at the centre of a dramatic and controversial sequence of events during the FA Cup final. The Crystal Palace goalkeeper first escaped a red card for handling the ball outside his penalty area, only to become a hero just 10 minutes later by saving a crucial penalty for his team.
The incident occurred after Crystal Palace had taken an early lead at Wembley through Eberechi Eze`s strike in the 16th minute. Manchester City pressed for an equalizer, and a long ball was played towards Erling Haaland.
Haaland attempted to control the bouncing ball just beyond the edge of the box, but Henderson rushed out and handled the ball, knocking it away. Play initially continued, but VAR soon intervened, advising referee Stuart Attwell to review the incident for a potential red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
Replays clearly showed Henderson was outside his box when he handled the ball. However, after a VAR review, the decision was made not to issue a red card. Officials reportedly justified this by claiming the ball was heading away from goal, meaning it was deemed only a “possible, but not an obvious, goalscoring opportunity,” sparking significant debate.
Pundits and fans alike expressed strong opinions on the controversial VAR call. Wayne Rooney labelled it a clear red card and suggested getting rid of VAR entirely if such mistakes were made. Ian Wright called the explanation “absolutely pathetic,” while Joleon Lescott described it as “one of the worst decisions I`ve seen in football.”
Despite the debate, Henderson remained on the field and quickly made a decisive impact at the other end. Just minutes after the handball incident, Manchester City were awarded a penalty after Tyrick Mitchell was judged to have fouled Bernardo Silva, a decision also reviewed by VAR which upheld the foul call.
Omar Marmoush stepped up to take the penalty for City. However, Henderson produced a brilliant save, diving to his left to deny Marmoush and preserve Palace`s valuable one-goal advantage.
Henderson`s penalty save proved to be a pivotal moment. His heroics between the posts, alongside a resolute defensive performance, helped Crystal Palace hold on to their lead and defeat Manchester City 1-0. This victory secured the club`s first major trophy, marking a historic day for the Eagles.
