Search

Newsletter image

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Join 10k+ people to get notified about new posts, news and tips.

Do not worry we don't spam!

GDPR Compliance

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, Privacy Policy, and Terms of Service.

Man City ratings: Silva does usual job in new-look system in FA Cup final but Savinho can’t complain about being hooked

Published on May 17, 2025 at 06:20 PM

MANCHESTER CITY suffered FA Cup final heartbreak after being outbattled by Crystal Palace at Wembley.

‘s men have failed to win a trophy this season after a 1-0 defeat in North London.

Erling Haaland looking disappointed after a soccer match.
It was a day to forget for Manchester City at Wembley as they lost the FA Cup final
Savinho of Manchester City looking dejected after a soccer match.
Savinho was among a host of City stars to underperform

Man City starting XI vs Crystal Palace FA Cup final.

Guardiola surprised fans with an attacking line-up, opting for Bernardo Silva and in the middle of the park.

But it proved to be a day to forget for the reigning Prem champions, who ran in the Palace goal.

Eberechi Eze smashed in the opener against the run of play in the first half.

Despite dominating possession for much of the game, City couldn’t force an equalise after the break.

Here’s how SunSport’s Martin Blackburn rated Guardiola’s side at Wembley.

Stefan Ortega – 6

German got the nod ahead of as he often does in the domestic cup games.

Had hardly touched the ball when he was picking it out of the net for Palace’s opener.

Got away with one when Palace saw a second ruled out for offside but a quiet day – despite ending on the losing side.

Stefan Ortega soccer stats: 1 goal conceded, 1 save, 17 passes, 17 accurate passes, 0 punches, 0 high claims. Pass map included.

Manuel Akanji – 6

Asked to fill in at right back – picked ahead of Nunes and Rico Lewis who would both be disappointed.

Flicked a header onto top of net early on and dealt well with what came down his flank.

will be pleased to have him back for a huge week ahead for his team.

Illustration of Manuel Akanji's soccer stats: 120 touches, 102 passes, 0 dribbles, 1 shot, 1 tackle, 2 duels won.

Ruben Dias – 6

Made more passes than the whole Palace team in the first half as City bossed it but ended up behind.

Slow to react when Daniel Munoz looked to have scored Palace’s second but bailed out by the VAR with the goal given as offside.

Illustration of Rúben Dias's game statistics: 144 touches, 0 shots, 137 passes, 1 tackle, 0 dribbles, and 4 duels won.

Josko Gvardiol – 7

Almost repeated his trick from the semi-final but his early header was saved by Henderson.

Had his hands full when Palace attacked with the likes of and Eze but kept the livewire forwards in check – more comfortable at centre back.

Illustration of Josko Gvardiol's soccer stats: 124 touches, 106 passes, 0 dribbles, 1 shot, 2 tackles, and 6 duels won. Heatmap shows playing position.

Nico O’Reilly – 6

Rewarded for his big contribution to City’s cup run with a start in the final.

But the youngster is not a left-back and was caught out for the Palace opening goal when he gave Munoz too much space.

Denied an equaliser when his effort was blocked towards the end.

Illustration of Nico O'Reilly's soccer game statistics: 59 touches, 0 shots, 38 passes, 3 tackles, 1 dribble, and 7 duels won. Heatmap shows his activity on the field.

Bernardo Silva – 7

Picked to play a deeper role in Pep’s new look system and as usual did a job for his boss.

Got forward to win his team the penalty and saw a late effort blocked by Kamada.

Had done a good stint by the time he was subbed late on.

Illustration of Bernardo Silva's game statistics: touches, passes, shots, tackles, dribbles, and duels won, shown on a soccer field graphic.

Kevin De Bruyne – 6

The Belgian was picked to start and captain the side one final time before he leaves these shores this summer.

His early cross almost created the opener for Haaland and late snapshot just wide.

But sadly there was to be no fairytale ending to

Illustration of Kevin De Bruyne's game statistics: 112 touches, 90 passes, 1 dribble, 4 shots, 3 tackles, and 6 duels won.

Jeremy Doku – 6

Another who saw plenty of the ball but could not do much with it.

Curling effort saved superbly by Henderson and fired another over the bar after the break – but for all his dribbling skills he needs to produce more for his team-mates.

May be more effective as an impact sub.

Illustration of Jérémy Doku's soccer stats: touches, shots, passes, tackles, dribbles, and duels won.

Savinho – 5

Saw plenty of the ball in the first half and gave his full-back some problems – but the lack of end product was frustrating.

Slightly more productive after the break however, he was replaced by in a bid to give City some new ideas.

Could have no complaints.

Illustration of Savinho's soccer game statistics: 61 touches, 0 shots, 37 passes, 1 tackle, 2 dribbles, and 3 duels won, shown on a heatmap of his activity on the field.

Omar Marmoush – 6

Surprised everyone by stepping up to but then missed it.

The Egyptian has perked up City’s season since he arrived in January but this was not his day as he tried to play in the gap just behind Haaland.

No surprise when he was subbed late on to be replaced by rookie Claudio Echeverri.

Illustration of Omar Marmoush's soccer stats: touches, shots, passes, tackles, dribbles, and duels won.

Erling Haaland – 6

Hasn’t scored at Wembley – so why did he give up the penalty?

The Norwegian always backs himself, so it seemed strange for him to give up the ball.

At the centre of the and forced a couple of good saves from the Palace keeper.

Illustration of Erling Haaland's soccer stats: 22 touches, 3 shots, 11 passes, 0 tackles, 0 dribbles, and 2 duels won. A heatmap shows his touches on the field.

Substitutes

Phil Foden (for Savinho ’77) – Neat and tidy but could not rescue the game. 5

Claudio Echevveri (for Marmoush ’77) – Almost a dream debut but late chance saved by Henderson. 6

Ilkay Gundogan (for Silva ’88) – Not enough time to make a major impact. 5

Prev Article

Lagos hospital raises alarm over N20 million monthly bill for 3-hour daily electricity

Next Article

Woman, 72, killed in e-bike crash as motorcycle rider, 17, arrested and bailed as cops launch urgent appeal

Related to this topic:

Comments (0):

Be the first to write a comment.

Post Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


All the options except Custom will apply pre-configured parameters.