Nothing To Regret For Man City And Guardiola Following FA Cup Final Loss To Crystal Palace

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Pep Guardiola expressed no regrets following Manchester City's 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. Eberechi Eze's goal in the 16th minute secured Palace's first major trophy at Wembley Stadium. Despite dominating possession, City couldn't capitalise on their opportunities, with Omar Marmoush missing a penalty and Dean Henderson making crucial saves.

City controlled 76.7% of the ball, setting a record for FA Cup finals since 2014. Ruben Dias alone completed more passes (129) than the entire Palace team (126). However, despite taking 23 shots, City failed to score, marking the highest number of attempts without a goal in an FA Cup final since records began in 2014.

Guardiola praised his team's performance compared to last year's final against Manchester United. "Congratulations to Palace. We did everything. Nothing to regret," he stated. He noted that City created numerous chances but couldn't convert them into goals, emphasising their improved play over previous matches.

After the match, Guardiola confronted Henderson about delaying restarts throughout the game. Guardiola remarked, "It's time-wasting... I understand in the last minutes, but since one or two minutes? He's British; in English football, you have to play." He stressed that City's loss wasn't due to time-wasting but rather their inability to score.

City's defeat marked their second consecutive FA Cup final loss and their seventh runner-up finish in the competition's history. Only Manchester United (nine), Chelsea, and Everton (both eight) have finished as runners-up more often.

Guardiola highlighted City's attacking efforts over recent games, stating they had taken 50 shots across two matches but failed to find the net. He acknowledged Crystal Palace's strong defensive performance while expressing disappointment over not winning despite controlling transitions well.

Despite the setback, Guardiola remained optimistic about his team's efforts and congratulated Crystal Palace on their victory. He reiterated that football can be unpredictable and acknowledged City's need to improve their finishing to secure future wins.