Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been slammed after getting into a confrontation with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson after his side’s FA Cup final defeat
Pep Guardiola has been branded as “a baby” and “pathetic” following his confrontation with Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. The pair had to be separated after full-time in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday after the Eagles beat Manchester City 1-0.
Henderson was in the thick of the action for Palace as they lifted their first-ever major trophy, saving a penalty and making several crucial saves after Eberechi Eze’s early goal. However, the 28-year-old was lucky to still be on the pitch after he appeared to handle the ball outside of his area during the first half.
The England international narrowly escaped a red card after a VAR check in a decision which sparked outrage. Guardiola looked furious after the final whistle and clashed with Henderson, seemingly in a row over time-wasting.
As Henderson ran towards the middle of the pitch to celebrate with his team-mates, the City boss angrily wagged a finger at him. Guardiola has now been accused of sour grapes in the wake of the bust-up by former Manchester United and Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster.
“At the end of the game at full time, Pep Guardiola came on the pitch, and I think he was a bit of a baby,” Foster said on his Fozcast podcast. “It’s pathetic, though. It’s the FA Cup final and what does he expect Dean Henderson to do?
“Yeah, he should have been sent off and he shouldn’t have even been on the pitch. And yes, he was time-wasting a little bit at the end of the game. But what do you want him to do? He’s not going to get the ball back and get it going as quickly as he possibly can.”
He added: “What Palace did for the last 20 minutes of that game is the same as any team would have done. I’m talking about Arsenal, Liverpool and Man United.
“If they’re clinging on to that 1-0 lead at Wembley in the FA Cup final, you are clinging on for dear life, and you do what you’ve got to do. It is what it is, but don’t come on the pitch at full time being a baby.”
The pair were spotted exchanging words at the end of the match before Palace coaching staff intervened. The Eagles’ No. 2 goalkeeper, Matt Turner, kept Guardiola away while manager Oliver Glasner held Henderson back.
The shot-stopper later opened up about the incident during a post-match interview with ITV. “I just went to shake his hand, but he was disappointed by the time-wasting,” Henderson said. “But no hard feelings.”
Meanwhile, Guardiola gave short shrift to questions about his exchange of views with Henderson. On the red card decision, Guardiola said simply: “Ask the referee,” before adding that he had “nothing” to say about the post-match incident.
But Foster insisted he was glad Henderson wasn’t sent off, claiming it would have spoiled the occasion. “It would have ruined the game and would have ruined everybody’s Saturday afternoon – I’ll take human error all the time,” he said.
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