Dean Henderson Handball Sparks Outrage as VAR Decision Leaves Man City Fans Fuming in FA Cup Final
Crystal Palace keeper Dean Henderson avoided a red card despite handling the ball outside his box — and Manchester City fans are furious after VAR ruled Erling Haaland was not denied a clear scoring chance.
The FA Cup final was filled with drama, and Crystal Palace’s Dean Henderson was at the heart of it – but not for the reasons you might expect. The goalkeeper escaped a red card despite a blatant handball outside his box, leaving Manchester City fans furious and football pundits in disbelief.
In the 23rd minute, with Palace leading 1-0 thanks to Eberechi Eze’s composed finish, Josko Gvardiol launched a long ball toward Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker looked set to pounce, but Henderson came sprinting off his line and clearly used his right hand to knock the ball away – and crucially, he did it outside his area.
BBC pundit Alan Shearer confirmed the obvious, saying: “There’s no doubt that Dean Henderson touches that with his hand. It is clear to me that Erling Haaland is going away from goal.”
Referee Stuart Attwell let play continue, but a VAR check followed. Surprisingly, the officials in the booth ruled that the incident didn’t meet the threshold for denying an “obvious” goalscoring opportunity, primarily because Haaland was moving away from the goal.
That explanation didn’t sit well with many – especially not Wayne Rooney. Speaking during the half-time analysis, the former Manchester United and England striker didn’t hold back: “Just get rid of VAR. They’ve made a mistake and now they’re trying to cover up. It’s a red card and everyone can see it’s a red card.”
The situation became even more controversial just minutes later. City were awarded a penalty after Bernardo Silva went down under a challenge from Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell. Henderson, still on the pitch, denied Omar Marmoush from the spot – a moment that stung City fans even more, considering he arguably shouldn’t have been on the field.
Adding insult to injury, Henderson later made a key save to deny Jeremy Doku, cementing his role as Palace’s unlikely hero. But the fallout from his handball continued to dominate conversation online.
“Keeper handles outside the area. It’s a red card, no matter what direction the ball is going. Ref and VAR have lost the plot,” one fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Another wrote: “As clear a red card as you will see. VAR have had an absolute howler. Henderson has slapped the ball away from goal… it’s a clear red.”
A third fan pointed out Henderson’s continued influence on the match: “Amazing – handles it outside his area, off his line for the penalty, and now makes a crucial save. All while he should’ve been in the changing room.”
In a final filled with high stakes and high tension, the decision not to send off Henderson may go down as one of the biggest talking points of the season. One thing is certain – Manchester City and their supporters won’t forget this one in a hurry.
