Guardiola "thinking too much" and then making bitter fruits. Crystal Palace s 120-year dream come true

Wembley Night: A showdown between tactical obsession and historical breakthrough

When the cheers of Crystal Palace fans drowned Wembley Stadium, Guardiola squatted on the turf on the sidelines, with his fingers deeply inserted into his hair - this coach, known as the "tactical master", was once again backfired by the chess game he designed himself under the spotlight of the FA Cup final.

The "genius" and "crazy" are separated by the front line. In the locker room before the game, Crystal Palace coach Glasner played a video of losing 2-4 to Manchester City four months ago. The picture was frozen at the moment when De Bruyne's scalpel-like straight pass, and he turned to the player and said, "Today, we want to make the pass-by machine stuck." No one expected that this prophecy would come true in such a dramatic way.

Guardiola wrote "De Bruyne + Bernardo Silva's double midfielder" on the starting list, and the reporter's seat gasped. It was only 43 days after the last match between the two teams, when Manchester City swept the opponent 5-2 and was completely reshuffled. Former Manchester City assistant coach Arteta once commented privately: "Pep's tactical board is like a kaleidoscope, but sometimes it can make people dizzy when it spins too fast." In the 16th minute of the game, Matteta passed the ball lightly and Eze pushed the ball to score. The broadcast footage swept across Manchester City's bench: Kovacic was wrapped in a thick coat and bowed his head without saying a word, while Gundogan, who should have guarded the midfield, was cruising on the front line. This goal concealed like an accurate scalpel, cutting open the fatal injury of Guardiola's tactical experiment - when De Bruyne retreated to the midfielder, Manchester City's proud offensive engine became a green channel for the opponent to counterattack.

Haland's dilemma: The striker has become a victim of tactical

The return of the Norwegian divine forward is originally placed on high expectations. During his absence, Manchester City won five consecutive victories with the strikeless formation and even played a smooth cooperation. But the stubborn Guardiola obviously believes in the superstar effect more - even if it means letting Haaland "dance in shackles" in the transmission and control system.

The data will not lie: Haaland only touched the ball 22 times in the game, 7 less than the opponent's goalkeeper. The irony is that in the 36th minute, when Manchester City got a golden penalty opportunity, the No. 9 player who should have stood up gave the penalty to Marmush, who lost three times this season. Manchester City in the stands hugged their heads and wailed: "What we need is a killer, not a humble gentleman!"

"He wants to prove that he can play artistic football and activate the super center." Sky Sports commentator hit the nail on the head, "But the reality is that when the passer encounters the muscle jungle, beautiful football becomes a shackle."

Crystal Palace Miracle: 120 years of waiting and burning

The final whistle sounded, 35-year-old veteran Klein knelt on the ground and kissed the turf. This tough guy who once traveled to Liverpool and Crystal Palace was crying like a child at this moment. In the stands, the white-haired fans held a banner with "1905-2025, we wait until today" - for this trophy, three generations have been waiting for the full 120 years.

Glasner's tactical arrangement is a textbook: use three central defenders to lock the rib space and allow Manchester City to conduct in irrelevant areas. When technical statistics show that Manchester City's ball possession rate is 68% and 23 shots, the Austrian coach smiled sly: "We have prepared two ways to celebrate: if the ball possession rate is less than 40%, the whole team will eat fish and chips; if it is higher than 60%, they will change to a lobster meal."

This kind of light-weight wisdom was fully demonstrated after Eze scored. When Manchester City players surrounded the referee and appealed for offside, the Crystal Palace players had already gathered in the center circle in tacit understanding - they knew too well that every second of delay at this moment was a stepping stone to victory.

Clothes room crack: an iceberg opened by a loss

The post-match conflict scene went viral on social media: Guardiola pushed Henderson's outstretched hand in a cold face, and the goalkeeper's angry roar even overwhelmed the live broadcast. This is not a simple loss sentiment, but an outbreak of conflicts that have accumulated over the entire season.

The Manchester Evening News revealed that as early as when he was eliminated in the Champions League in March, some players questioned Guardiola's frequent changes in the lineup. What's even more fatal is that when the Mesozoic state of Foden and Gallish declined, people suddenly discovered that the "old faces" sitting on Manchester City's bench were still the "old faces" five years ago.

"He always says he trusts players, but he overturns the entire central axis every time he loses." The complaint of an anonymous player reveals the hidden worries behind the gorgeous record. Manchester City is very similar to Barcelona in 2012. When Habaibu grows old, the transmission and control system has become a flashy castle in the air.

Where to go in the future: At the crossroads of art football, Crystal Palace captain Anderson turned to the bench of Manchester City when he held the trophy high. This meaningful action seemed to mock: there is no eternal king in the football world, only eternal change.

For Guardiola, this loss may have come at the right time. When his tactical notes are filled with page 217, it is time to tear off a few pages of the idea of ​​“taken for granted”—after all, victory is the most advanced art on the football field. And for Crystal Palace, this fairy tale night is just the starting point: in the Europa League next season, the red and blue stripes are destined to set off a new storm.

At this moment, carnival and loneliness are intertwined into the most realistic appearance of the football world. Just like the eye-catching slogan in the stands: "Waiting for one championship in 120 years is worth it!" - Some waiting will eventually wait until dawn; some persistence may make people lose themselves in the dark.