Manchester City experienced FA Cup final sorrow after being defeated by Crystal Palace at Wembley.
Pep Guardiola`s squad finished the season without securing a trophy following their 1-0 loss in North London.
Guardiola surprised many with an offensive starting eleven, including Bernardo Silva and Kevin De Bruyne in midfield.
However, the day proved difficult for the current Premier League champions, who encountered an outstanding Dean Henderson in the Crystal Palace goal.
Eberechi Eze struck the opening goal in the first half, somewhat against the run of play.
Despite dominating possession for large parts of the game, City couldn`t find an equalizer after halftime.
Stefan Ortega – 6
The German goalkeeper was chosen over Ederson, as is common in domestic cup matches. He had barely touched the ball before it was in his net for Palace`s first goal. He was fortunate when a second Palace goal was disallowed for offside. Overall, a quiet day for him, despite the losing outcome.
Manuel Akanji – 6
Played at right-back, preferred over Nunes and Rico Lewis. He headed a ball onto the top of the net early on and handled the threats down his flank effectively. Guardiola will be pleased to have him back for the crucial upcoming matches.
Ruben Dias – 6
Completed more passes than the entire Palace team in the first half when City dominated, but still ended up behind. He was slow to react to Daniel Munoz`s potential second goal for Palace, but was rescued by VAR ruling it offside.
Josko Gvardiol – 7
Almost replicated his semi-final goal but his early header was saved by Henderson. He faced a challenge dealing with Palace attackers like Jean-Phillippe Mateta and Eze but largely contained them. He looked more comfortable playing at centre-back.
Nico O`Reilly – 6
Received a start in the final as a reward for his contributions to City’s cup run. However, playing at left-back is not his natural position, and he was caught out for Palace`s opening goal by giving Munoz too much room. He had a late equalizer attempt blocked.
Bernardo Silva – 7
Deployed in a deeper role within Pep`s tactical setup and performed his task effectively as usual. He advanced forward to win the penalty for his team and had a late effort blocked by Kamada. He put in a good shift before being substituted late in the game.
Kevin De Bruyne – 6
The Belgian started and captained the side in what could be his final game for the club. His early cross nearly set up Haaland, and he had a late shot just wide. Unfortunately, there was no storybook ending to his impressive City career.
Jeremy Doku – 6
Another player who saw plenty of possession but struggled to create clear chances. His curling shot was excellently saved by Henderson, and he fired another effort over the bar after the break. Despite his dribbling ability, he needs to contribute more for his teammates. Perhaps more effective as a substitute.
Savinho – 5
Was active in the first half and troubled his full-back at times, but his lack of final product was frustrating. He was slightly more effective after halftime but was substituted for Phil Foden to try and inject new ideas into the team. His removal was understandable.
