Newcastle United. Bologna. Go Ahead Eagles. Three teams from three different parts of Europe. Yet they have one thing in common—they’ve all ended their respective long-standing trophy droughts.
The Magpies won their first trophy in over 70 years by beating Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final earlier this year. Go Ahead Eagles of the Netherlands lifted their first trophy in 93 years after winning the KNVB Cup, while Bologna recently broke a 51-year jinx by beating AC Milan in the Coppa Italia final.
And, while he may not be considered an underdog on an individual level, Harry Kane has brought an end to his trophy famine by winning the German Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.
As Crystal Palace step out onto the hallowed Wembley turf tomorrow to face Manchester City in the FA Cup final, the question on everyone’s minds will be: can they keep this year’s underdog streak going?
Palace last won a major trophy 31 years ago, when they won the second division title. They came close to breaking the jinx in 2016; they were leading Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final before Jesse Lingard scored late in extra time, cruelly clipping the Eagles’ wings just as they were about to take flight.
This year, there’s no denying Palace look well-placed to end their trophy drought—and there’s no better time than the present. While both the team and their fans will exercise caution given the heartbreaks of 1990 and 2016, those of a Palace persuasion can hardly be blamed for dreaming of cup glory.
In Oliver Glasner, Palace have a coach with big-game nous and experience, having delivered Eintracht Frankfurt the Europa League in 2022. Given the team were expected to be shot down after the summer departure of talisman Michael Olise, especially after a slow start to the season, the Austrian has done exceptionally well to guide them one step closer to silverware, while also guaranteeing Premier League safety by a comfortable margin.
Led by football artist—also a chess whiz—Eberechi Eze and the formidable Jean-Philippe Mateta, Palace have an attack that can more than hold its own against the big teams. Eze has well and truly matured into a leader, and his contributions to the team bear evidence to his growing leadership credentials.
While their attack has been formidable, Palace’s defence has been equally influential—if not more—in their run to the final. Led by the steely determination of Maxcence Lacroix and the relentless Daniel Muñoz, Palace seem to have all bases covered, ready to get their hands on the trophy.
However, it won’t be easy. Standing in their way are a team who know a thing or two about winning. While Man City have been battling with problems of their own and have had a poor season on all fronts by their lofty standards, they’re a side stacked with quality and won’t give Palace an inch. They will want to avoid what will be only a second trophyless season in the last decade.
Palace know that they are the outsiders to win the FA Cup tomorrow, but as Newcastle and Bologna have shown, if the stars are in your favour, nothing can stop you from reaching your destiny.
Will Crystal Palace keep the underdog flag flying high? Or will it be a heroic defeat?
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