United and Lingard pip Palace to the Cup, in extra time.
It wasn’t easy, and it took longer than they will have hoped, but Manchester United won their 12th FA Cup, beating Crystal Palace at Wembley. United pondered with the ball, and Palace strained without it; that was largely the form the match took, with Palace aiming to work almost exclusively on the counter. Chances were slim for Alan Pardew’s side, and when Jason Puncheon took his late in the second half, it appeared as though United would once again sleepwalk into a disappointing defeat.
But it’s at these moments that a champion’s quality emerges, as the crucible heats up to the point of combustion. Wayne Rooney, so derided – often rightly – is one of the Premier League’s great champions, and it was from his supreme contribution, a slaloming run past four Palace defenders, that United forged their equaliser. Even Chris Smalling’s red card couldn’t derail the momentum Rooney gave his team, and Jesse Lingard sealed a deserved victory as extra time wound down.
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