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Afterparty at the Palace, a gala night at Selhurst Park. If the 2024-25 Premier League season has faced accusations of featuring far too little jeopardy, the result here mattered little but will be remembered for ever as the night Crystal Palace brought the FA Cup home to south London.
For the record, Palace celebrated a win via two goals from Eddie Nketiah, a deflected free-kick and a late, glorious Eberechi Eze strike. In truth, the main event did not arrive until after full time with the end of Selhurst Park’s 101-year wait to show off a major trophy to fans. Eagles supporters can now dream of next season’s European tour, with the hope and expectation the precise but emotionally charged leadership of Oliver Glasner will lead them into that promised land.
Joel Ward, Palace’s longest-serving player, led the team out, his 364th appearance. This was the night denied to Palace fans in 1990 and 2016. Alan Pardew, player and manager in those losing teams, was in the stands between his former teammate Mark Bright and the current club chairman Steve Parish.
Of Wembley’s heroes, Dean Henderson played in goal, and Daniel Muñoz, a real breakthrough player, raided down the right flank. Two January additions to “Oliver’s Army” in Ben Chilwell and Romain Esse, were handed first Premier League starts.
Among those given deserved rests after Saturday’s heroics were Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta, were among those given deserved rests, as was Daichi Kamada, a Glasner lieutenant slow to settle but excellent on Saturday.
With Wolves safe for some weeks, their coach Vitor Pereira also played an experimental team, the goalkeeper Dan Bentley starting, plus a first Premier League start for the defender, Nasser Djiga. Next season is awaited at Molineux with some optimism even if the Portuguese coach’s CV suggests he is usually here for a good time rather than a long time. He greeted Glasner with a bearhug of congratulation.
It was Dijga’s defensive partner, Emmanuel Agbadou, who scored Wolves’ opener after Jørgen Strand Larsen nodded back a corner across goal and the Ivorian’s neck muscles did just enough to power the ball mere inches over the line.
That did nothing to quieten Palace fans singing of Wembley or hailing Glasner and within three minutes, Nketiah’s sharp finish drew the scores level. The south Londoner, a substitute on Saturday, has been another slow burner but grasped a chance to shine as Muñoz and Ismaila Sarr set up his second. Within five minutes of the second half, Chilwell had his first Palace goal via a free-kick that deflected off Agbadou and beyond Bentley.
Those in the Holmesdale End, shirts off and paying no attention to the football kept up their drum beat when Strand Larsen, from another corner, pulled Wolves back into the contest with a looping yet powerful header. That proved the Norwegian’s last action as Matheus Cunha was thrown on. When a tearful Ward left the field in the 71st minute, Selhurst stood as one to applaud him. Parish, too, could be seen wiping his eyes.
Wolves, perhaps sensing their opponents had lost focus, pushed for an equaliser. On came the Wembley wizards in Eze and Mateta. Soon enough, Eze glided through the Wolves defence in the graceful style that makes him both killer and stadium filler. He gave Bentley no chance with his finish, all disguise and precision. From there the real celebrations could truly begin.
