Crystal Palace v Manchester City

About the Drawing

Crystal Palace's victory over Manchester City in the 2025 FA Cup Final was one of those occasions when football history quietly changed. Founded in 1905, Crystal Palace won the first major trophy in the club's history, making it a day that supporters had waited generations to experience.

Eberechi Eze's first-half goal proved decisive, although there was still plenty of drama to come. Manchester City missed a penalty, and a controversial handball incident involving the Crystal Palace goalkeeper became one of the match's talking points. Right until the final whistle, there was a feeling that the outcome could still change.

One of the pleasures of making these drawings is that, over time, the players begin to feel familiar. I might first draw them representing their clubs and then, months later, hear their names again playing for their national teams. As I write this during the 2026 World Cup, Eberechi Eze is once again part of the story, this time wearing an England shirt. It reminds me that football is made up of continuous journeys rather than isolated matches.

Whenever I look at this drawing, I think of the joy of seeing a club experience something entirely new. For Crystal Palace supporters, it was a day that became part of the club's history. For me, it is also a reminder that following football over many years creates its own quiet familiarity, where players, voices and memories return in unexpected ways.