Pep Guardiola reacts following Man City FA Cup final loss to Crystal Palace

► Subscribe to Sky Sports News: http://bit.ly/SkySportsNewsSub
► Watch Sky Sports: https://bit.ly/BuySkySports

Eberechi Eze fired Crystal Palace to their first ever major trophy with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Palace ended their long wait for silverware and have qualified for the Europa League when Eze struck in the 16th minute before goalkeeper Dean Henderson escaped a red card for handball and then saved Omar Marmoush’s penalty in an action-packed first half.

The VAR deemed Henderson hadn’t denied a clear goalscoring opportunity when he palmed the ball away from Erling Haaland after referee Stuart Attwell had allowed play to continue.

#facup #crystalpalace #manchestercity

► For the latest developments on this story: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/topstories
► For the latest transfer news: https://qrcode.skysports.com/skysports/TransferCentre

More from Sky Sports on YouTube:

► Sky Sports: http://bit.ly/SkySportsSub
► Sky Sports Boxing: http://bit.ly/SSBoxingSub
► Sky Sports Cricket: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyCricket
► Sky Sports Darts: https://bit.ly/SubSkySportsDarts
► Sky Sports Football: http://bit.ly/SSFootballSub
► Sky Sports F1: http://bit.ly/SubscribeSkyF1
► Sky Sports Golf: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsGolf
► Sky Sports Premier League: https://bit.ly/SubscribeSkySportsPL
► Sky Sports Retro: http://bit.ly/SkySportsRetroSub

► TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skysportsnews
► X: https://x.com/SkySportsNews
► Website: https://www.skysports.com

► To enquire about licensing Sky Sports content, you can find out more here: https://www.skysports.com/more-sports/news/31754/11434270/license-sky-sports-footage

Let’s get our first reaction to the FA Cup win for Crystal Palace. Pep Guardiola is Manchester City’s beaten manager. James, your thoughts after that? I saw you stayed on the pitch afterwards to watch Palace lift the trophy. Um, what were you thinking about that and this season in that moment? Well, congratulation Crystal Palace for the first FA Cup in his history. They play a good defensive uh game and we control the transition that they’re a incredible threat except the goal and one more and of course difficult to control in the throwins in the free kicks and especially corners. But uh yeah we we could not score in last two games. So we play better than Southampton game. Uh we were more active. We were I would say really really good in many many things. We create a lot. Uh we we didn’t score and that’s why we’re going to win. Pep, there were a couple of contentious moments. Um firstly, Dean Henderson. Yeah, they asked me. So as to the referee in the V. Did you feel it should have been a sending off? Ask as to them. So we don’t get the chance to speak to them unfortunately. Me neither. Um can I ask about Erling Harland not taking the penalty? Why was they decide on the pitch? So I don’t know. I didn’t speak with them. I don’t know. Obviously, you seem to create enough chances to win two or three matches today. What? Sorry. It seemed like you created enough chances today to win two matches with 11 players in the penalty book is what? We create a lot. What? But you’ve only scored once in three games. Now, what what can can you put your finger on? Yeah, we I think we we fixed in the last month the problem that we had all the season defensively in scoring goals but we didn’t score the opponent didn’t score we give away we gave away a lot a lot of goals and in the last period we were so stable uh we score we concede five goals in nine games uh so we are stable that we didn’t didn’t create much but yeah lately don’t we are not able I’m not saying it’s easy against something 11 players there 11 players there but we learn from many years So we need good crosses, good people in the box and I thought the game will be quite similar but I didn’t expect as much but I think it was quite similar for Southampton and that we I put more players in the box with wingers proper wingers to wins against one because Sabinho the first 10 minutes second half was brilliant and Jeremy all the game was brilliant as always and Omar and Erling in the box for the second ball some clever actions from behind from Nikico arriving or caving um and we create is a I don’t know it’s much more in that in that position uh you know because they don’t have time always every uh you know goal kick and every action is take time take time they take out to the rhythm and sometimes it’s difficult to come back but I think the chances were there in Southampton no especially second half but the first half was not but today was there the chances was there but we could not score sometimes football it’s happen Simon Pep. Um, you said that the players took the decision on the pitch on who should take the penalty. Remember a couple of years ago Harland handing a penalty over to Gundowan and you weren’t very happy. You said that he’s your penalty taker and you want him to take the penalty kicks. Were you equally unhappy today or were you happy to allow the play? I thought you were I want to take it. We didn’t speak it. There are questions that in the meetings and there are things that is already for them but when that moment for the free or penalty especially how the feeling you know how how how how you feel and they decide they saw the Omar was ready to take it I think Omar took a lot of time you know with the ball stop should be out to take the ball and after kick you know to don’t put more pressure in himself and the make would So hi Pep, you gave Cladio the the debut today having never been on the bench before. What was the kind of the thinking the inspiration behind my inspiration? I’m a talent manager. Was it was it a dream? Come true. I mean you always say how difficult it is to I want to be I want to be honest. I was not a bad decision. to the way he played, the chances that he had, he had three chances in small spaces. I thought that uh because I saw him in a in a training session since then and that uh listen there is Kusenov Victor and him last four or five games always in the tribune and I don’t like that. I know maybe it’s special because it should go to the other ones but he’s playing moving really really well in small small spaces. so creative in that and I thought during the game that u the last minute so you know to find something with this type of games when they defend 11 in the box is question if I take the ball I dribble once make one two shoot and score a goal so well that option is make a crosses crosses but that is I think Crystal Palace love it and he had he got the first shoot that normally is so clever there and so precise and after have one or two more like Nico have two more and Kevin the first half and nurling another one. So the penalties we had the chances we had the chances but unfortunately we could not score. Hi Pep, can I ask about the decision to play Bernardo and Kevin as the holding midfielders? Was that because Kovichic was injured? Yeah. And otherwise Kova will play but he was injured. Do you think injured? He doesn’t feel good. Do you think that that ended up influencing the game in a towards kind of helping Palace that not having Sorry. Do you think that that h having just one holding midfielder in Bernardo? I I think I think we didn’t so far right defensively. I was thinking oh Kevin and Bernardo holding midfielders in the other one but like I expect a game in that way. I want Kevin in that positions to deliver some balls. Unfortunately we could not find him in the positions that we we wanted but in the right side as they defend deeper than S. That’s why Nikico in the left side we had more spaces to attack. Um but yeah the game plan it didn’t work because they didn’t win. So but I think was in general was a I don’t have anything in Southampton. I had bad bad feeling but today I didn’t have of course we are sad because we have a cup is how nice is this Wembley and you know the anthem and the stadium the two crowds so beautiful lovely day. So we are here we play to win. We play much much better for example that the game we play 5-2 at home and much much better than the last season when we lose against United today we did everything we don’t concede absolutely few we had the possession to create chances we could create more yeah but it’s not easy I’d say that it’s not easy with 18 players there and then yeah continue now it’s rest recover quick for the last two finals that we have to next season play in Champions League. doing Mike before the embargo goes just ask a couple of questions. I mean um do you think when Henderson stays on the pitch it’s almost destiny that he’s going to save the penalty inevitably. Wow. I don’t know. I didn’t study about the destinies about the universe and these kind of things. So I don’t know. I don’t know is the reason why but um listen don’t ask me about to ask to referee or the V honestly can I can I ask if were you upset with when you spoke to Henderson at the end were you upset with their time wasting listen he defend his position we defend our position it’s not wasting I understand in the last minutes but since the one or two minutes he’s British you know to the English football had to I’m sorry. Everyone can do whatever they want. We have to score goals. We didn’t lose because Anderson was time wasting and the last minutes. I understand that. But after it’s true, they give nine or 10 minutes extra time. So at the end is that but it’s question of rhythm, you know, it’s catch up for all the fans, you know, are there to let the 22 players play play. So when you see Barcelona now, they losing attack attack and the other team attack. The show is is beautiful, you know. is only but I understand his position when the defending again okay it’s question of the referee you know there’s no question mine because we don’t have the rhythm that maybe you need you know again again again and I understand when you 92 minutes 86 87 you know but uh I don’t feel it so my teams I never try because I try to you know play the game like the people deserves to watch that that’s all saying that congratulations Henderson and Crystal Palace because at the end they defend really really well and we were not able to screw up. 10:30 on Sunday evening, Martin, please. Hi, P. You’ve got this game, this quick turnaround for for Tuesday now. Is that is that a bigger game than this was in some ways because there’s so much riding on it, isn’t there? Oh, now we have to recover quick. Yeah, it’s a big u disappointment today, you know, because of course we are here for the win. Listen, when we lose when you play not good, you are sad, but at the end we don’t deserve it. But when you play the way I’m sorry with the final the play we play and the players gave absolutely everything and we create like we create not necessarily because they didn’t see the stats or whatever but this this game is about to score a goal so we didn’t score we can we don’t have defend you know we don’t have defend so we didn’t score congratulation Crystal Palace and now of course we don’t have much time to recover and prepare an important game from wins against uh against Bournemouth hi Pat Um very big summer ahead for you and the team and the club. Um do you think it’s maybe one of the biggest challenges you’ve had in your years at City to to rebuild? Right. We will leave Pep Guardiola there understandably downcast Manchester City manager after their FA Cup final 1-0il defeat to Crystal Palace. Many congratulations to Palace. It’s their first ever major trophy. [Music]