Pep Guardiola fury and Erling Haaland decision sums up Man City problems

One of those days in one of those seasons - just not quite how anyone though it should be. Manchester City contrived to lose an FA Cup Final they should have won despite one of their better performances of what has been a disappointing campaign.

If nothing else, it was a wild ride of an afternoon from the moment the teamsheet dropped. Mateo Kovacic was out injured and there was no place in the squad for Rico Lewis and James McAtee, with their places taken by January arrivals Vitor Reis and Claudio Echeverri.

The starting XI was more startling, with Blues transported back to the nightmare of Porto as Pep Guardiola almost went without a midfield in a side that has been overrun far too often this season. Attack, attack, attack was the mantra as Kevin De Bruyne started alongside two wingers and two strikers in a team that looked to blow Palace away.

They nearly did too, strangling and suffocating them in an opening spell of 15 minutes that saw them have 88 per cent possession and play almost exclusively in the Palace third as they forced Dean Henderson into two good saves.

Obviously then, Palace opened the scoring moments later with one of their first forays into the City half. Jean Philippe Mateta held up the ball well, Daniel Munoz ran and crossed and Eberechi Eze got into the box ahead of Manu Akanji to turn past Stefan Ortega.

It didn't really work as a snapshot of the season because City had played much better, although this has been a campaign about Guardiola's side struggling in both boxes. Once again, the Wembley veterans had it all to do.

Their task really should have been easier when Henderson clawed the ball away from Erling Haaland as he raced towards goal. The Palace keeper handled the ball outside of his