Pep Guardiola reacts to Manchester City's loss to Crystal Palace; says 'We did everything...'

Manchester City suffered a shocking defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday (May 17). The Eagles scored their first goal in the 16th minute. On the other hand, despite creating numerous chances, City couldn’t break Palace’s defense. Manager Pep Guardiola reflected on his team’s inability to convert their dominance into goals.

Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s loss

Pep Guardiola reflected on his team’s performance, he stated, “We are sad because we didn’t win but we played much better, better than against United last season. We did everything. We created a lot of chances."

“In the last two games we shot 50 times. Football is sometimes like this. We did everything and they defended well. We created chances. We controlled the transitions really good,” he added.

Crystal Palace scored their first goal in the 16th minute with Eberechi Eze's counterattack. They defended the goals by Man City players including Omar Marmoush, Phil Foden, and Claudio Echeverri.

Guardiola appreciated the opponents and congratulated them after the game. “They defended well. Unfortunately we could not win and we congratulate Crystal Palace,” he added.

Guardiola’s take on VAR controversy

A major controversy arose when a VAR verdict saved Dean Henderson from getting a red card. Henderson appeared to handle the ball outside the box but VAR officials Jarred Gillett and Michael Salisbury didn’t deem it a clear goalscoring opportunity.

When asked about the decision, Guardiola responded by widening his eyes, "I’m not the referee!” he said. “Ask the referee or the VAR,” he added.

Guardiola on penalty decision

The decision for Omar Marmoush, Erling not Haaland, to take City’s 36th-minute penalty, which Henderson saved, caught Guardiola off guard. He reacted, “I thought he would want to take it but these are things for them. They decided Omar was ready to take it.”

When asked if it was Marmoush’s choice, he confirmed, “Yes. They decided.”

Guardiola and Henderson's disagreement after the match

Post-match, Guardiola had a brief disagreement with Henderson over alleged time-wasting, when asked about it, the Man City coach said, “Listen, he defended his position, we defend our position. I understand in the last minutes to do this.”

He emphasized, “We didn’t lose because Henderson was time-wasting. They gave nine or 10 minutes extra time, but it’s also the rhythm,” he added.

Oliver Glasner's reaction to Crystal Palace's win

When Oliver Glasner, coach of Crystal Palace was asked to compare the FA Cup victory to winning the Europa League with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022, he expressed, “It’s difficult to compare … no one expected Palace or Frankfurt to win. I can’t believe it. We had to defend so much. The spirit and togetherness on the pitch was amazing.”

“I am really proud of the team and the staff – congratulations, all the credit goes to them,” he added.

Crystal Palace’s path to victory:

Third Round - Crystal Palace won 1-0 vs Stockport

Fourth Round - Doncaster won 0-2 vs Crystal Palace

Fifth Round - Crystal Palace won 3-1 vs Millwall

Quarterfinals - Crystal Palace lost 0-3 vs Fulham

Semifinals - Crystal Palace won 3-0 Aston Villa

Final - Crystal Palace won 1-0 vs Manchester City