Haaland not Messi or Ronaldo, says Rooney after penalty snub

Manchester City's turbulent campaign ended in further despair as they slumped to a shocking 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, bringing a rare trophyless season for the English giants.

Despite splashing nearly 200 million euros in the January transfer window in a desperate bid to salvage their season, City have now fallen short on all fronts — Premier League, Champions League, and the domestic cup competitions — failing to lift a single piece of silverware for the first time since 2016-17.

Eberechi Eze's early strike was enough for Palace to stun Pep Guardiola's men, who also missed a golden opportunity to equalise when Omar Marmoush saw his penalty saved by Dean Henderson in the first half.

With regular taker Erling Haaland on the pitch, it came as a surprise when the Norwegian handed penalty duties to Marmoush. The Egyptian forward hesitated before his spot-kick, and Henderson dived the right way to preserve Palace's lead.

City's decision raised eyebrows across the football world, with former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney questioning Haaland's mentality.

"Erling Haaland is a world-class forward, but when we're talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there's no way they're giving that ball away," Rooney said on BBC Sport. "That's what separates those two players — they are selfish in a good way and they want to score every game."

Rooney also suggested the pressure of Wembley may have played a part. "Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him. You never know, he's a human being."

The former England captain was also livid over a controversial moment involving Henderson earlier in the game when the Palace keeper appeared to handle the ball outside the box.

"Just get rid of VAR," Rooney fumed. "They have made a mistake and now they are trying to cover up. It is a red card and everyone can see it's a red card."

City boss Pep Guardiola later revealed the penalty decision was made between the players on the pitch.

"They decided on the pitch. I don't know. I didn't speak with them," Guardiola said in his post-match press conference. "That moment is how they are feeling. They decided that Omar was ready to take it. I think he took a lot of time, to put more pressure on himself, and Henderson made a good save."

Saturday's defeat marks the second successive season City have lost in the FA Cup final and caps off a bitterly disappointing campaign in which they've been dethroned as the dominant force in English football.