Dean Henderson was the hero as Crystal Palace beat Manchester City 4-3 in FA Cup Final penalties. His performance was quickly overshadowed by a controversial VAR decision that should have led to a red card. The matched performance that day on June 4 would go a long way as Henderson’s impressive saves and the Eagles’ inspired offense give them a 3-1 victory over Boiling. Many observers believe he should have been sent off for handling the ball outside his box during the first half.
The controversial event took place just 24 minutes into the match. Henderson quickly palmed it away from the galloping Erling Haaland, all of this taking place right outside his penalty area. Referee Stuart Attwell and his assistant referees clearly failed in their duty. Because they thought the foul occurred within the penalty area, they allowed the play to continue without issuing a card.
For what it’s worth, Henderson later admitted that he didn’t know the VAR check was for him.
“I didn’t know [the VAR check] was for me in all honesty. The ball had come into the box so I wasn’t sure what they were doing it for. Who cares, it doesn’t matter.” – Dean Henderson
Whatever happened during that incident off the field, Henderson was a damn good player on it. He made multiple key stops, including an incredible leaping save on an Omar Marmoush penalty in the opening half. His performance finalized his status as an indispensable figure. It ignited discussion on the general quality of officiating in important state tournament games.
Many commentators were frustrated with the decision not to send off Henderson. Joleon Lescott remarked, “That’s one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in football,” while Wayne Rooney echoed similar sentiments, stating, “It is a red card – how can they get this wrong?” Ian Wright criticized the decision, asserting, “How this is not denying a goalscoring opportunity, it’s absolutely pathetic. It’s crazy, he’s going to tap that past him and then he’s just going to tap that into the goal.”
As for the argument that Haaland didn’t have a clear goalscoring opportunity because the ball was moving away from goal, plenty of others said Henderson’s actions warranted a harsher penalty.
Crystal Palace manager Roy Keane acknowledged the element of luck involved in their victory, saying, “What you need to win a cup is a bit of luck and that was a huge one.” Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola opted not to discuss the officiating decisions post-match: “I’m not the referee.”
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