Erling Haaland Unimpressive in Another Final As Manchester City Lose FA Cup Title

Manchester City Striker Fails To Score Yet Again in a Major Final, Sparking Doubts Over His Big-Game Credentials.

Erling Haaland is boasting some unwanted underwhelming record in finals with Manchester City. In the recent edition, he went another final without any goal or assist as Manchester City slumped to a 1-0 defeat against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley. Eberechi Eze’s first-half goal sealed Palace’s first-ever major trophy win.

With that, City has now gone trophyless for the first time since 2017. For Haaland, it was a familiar story as the Norwegian striker failed to make a mark. He has now extended his goalless run in finals with Manchester City to seven. He has scored 30 goals this season for the club but without getting involved in any goals in the seven finals.

Erling Haaland has failed to score or assist in all seven major finals he's played in for Man City ❌#FACup pic.twitter.com/YNjBYXUim9
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) May 17, 2025

Penalty Pass Sparks Backlash

In the latest FA Cup final, Manchester City faced Crystal Palace, who won the first major trophy in the club’s history defeating the Citizens. That wasn’t the only surprise for the Manchester side though. Perhaps the most surprising moment of the game was when Haaland declined to take a first-half penalty after Bernardo Silva was fouled inside the box.

Instead, he handed the ball to Omar Marmoush, whose effort was saved by Dean Henderson. After the match, boss Pep Guardiola said, “I thought he would want to take it but they didn’t speak. Omar took a lot of time… so it put more pressure on him.” The decision raised quite a few eyebrows among pundits and fans alike.

Also Read: Pep Guardiola Calls Season 2024-25 To Be His Toughest One Yet

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, speaking as a TV pundit, suggested the pressure of the moment may have affected Haaland. Rooney said, “When we are talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there is no way they are giving that ball away. Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him.”

Finals Curse and Mounting Questions

Haaland’s failure against Palace adds to an alarming trend. He’s now played in 10 senior club finals. Seven of those, he has played with City and three with Borussia Dortmund. In all of them, he has scored only three goals. All of them came during his Dortmund days.

Also Read: Oliver Glasner Gives Emotional Speech to Crystal Palace Fans After Historic FA Cup Triumph

Notably, he has failed to register a single goal or assist in four major finals with Manchester City. While his Premier League numbers remain elite, his inability to rise to the occasion on the biggest stages is certainly a matter of concern. This became Guardiola’s first season at Man City without a major trophy.

Erling Haaland in Finals With Manchester City

Here are the seven finals Haaland has played with Manchester City without getting involved in any of his team’s goals –

2022 Community Shield: Liverpool 3-1 Man City
2023 Community Shield: Arsenal 1-1 Man City
2023 FA Cup: Man City 2-1 Man United
2023 UEFA Super Cup: Man City 1-1 Sevilla
2023 UEFA Champions League: Man City 1-0 Inter Milan
2024 FA Cup: Man United 2-1 Man City
2025 FA Cup: Man City 0-1 Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace

Erling Haaland

FA Cup

Manchester City

Moumita Dutta

soccer

Football writer at The Playoffs. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful game since I was a kid.. Eventually, I realized I could combine my passion for writing with my love for football, and I’ve never looked back. My favorite part of the job is everything—when you’re doing what you love, even a late-night deadline feels like extra time in a thrilling cup final. Lastly, Lionel Messi is the GOAT.