Erling Haaland’s search for a goal at Wembley continued as Manchester City suffered a defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final. The Norwegian forward had an opportunity to break his scoring drought at the iconic stadium when his team were awarded a penalty. Surprisingly, instead of taking the kick himself, he handed the ball to Omar Marmoush after kissing it, drawing confusion from fans in the stands and at home.
The decision backfired when Marmoush’s attempt was denied by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola explained after the match that it was left to the players to decide who would take the spot-kick, and Haaland simply felt Marmoush was the right choice at that moment. Guardiola noted that Marmoush’s lengthy pause before shooting may have increased the pressure, crediting Henderson for making the crucial save.
Questions over mentality after another Wembley setback
Former England striker Wayne Rooney weighed in, questioning Haaland’s mindset. He pointed out that iconic players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo would never pass up such a chance, suggesting that their relentless desire to score sets them apart. Rooney implied that the weight of the occasion may have affected Haaland and hinted that his emotions can sometimes impact his performance.
Despite his extraordinary goal tally since joining City—52 goals in 53 matches during a treble-winning debut season—Haaland’s recent form at Wembley has been underwhelming. He has now gone six appearances at the venue without scoring and has missed three of his last seven penalty attempts. In a recent interview, Haaland labeled this campaign as “horrific,” and though City had hoped to bounce back with a trophy, they were unable to deliver, marking a second consecutive final loss at Wembley after last year’s defeat to Manchester United.
