The reason why Erling Haaland didn’t take the penalty remains a mystery, even to Manchester City’s coach Pep Guardiola himself. Former star Wayne Rooney suggests it was fear of missing that stopped the forward from stepping up.
Pep Guardiola was visibly surprised at the moment and even after the match, he had no clear answer. The City coach doesn’t know why Haaland didn’t take the penalty and why the shot was taken by Omar Marmoush instead. Experts are also trying to analyze the reason behind it. Meanwhile, Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney believes Haaland avoided the penalty out of fear of failure.
This was one of the key moments that shaped the outcome of this FA Cup final. At Wembley on Saturday, Crystal Palace took the lead in the 6th minute. Then, in the 33rd minute, Manchester City was awarded a penalty.
Haaland initially moved toward the ball, as the primary responsibility to take the penalty lies with him. But in the final moment, he handed the ball over to Marmoush.
Since joining City last January, this was Marmoush’s first penalty for the club on a big stage. The 26-year-old Egyptian forward missed the penalty; although his shot had power, it lacked accuracy and didn’t deceive goalkeeper Dean Henderson, who dived to his right to save it. Haaland tried to score on the rebound, but his weak shot was comfortably saved by Henderson.
After losing this golden opportunity, City launched several more attacks but couldn’t break Henderson’s wall. For the first time in their 120-year history, Crystal Palace won a major trophy. For City, a frustrating season ended with their last chance for silverware slipping away.
As expected, the penalty miss was the center of post-match discussion. Guardiola was candid about not knowing why Haaland stepped back.
“It was decided on the pitch by them. I don’t know… I haven’t talked to them. I thought maybe Erling would want to take it… but these things are internal,” Guardiola said.
“A free kick or a penalty is really a moment, a feeling at that time… how they feel. They decided Omar was ready to take the shot. Henderson made a good save.”
Wayne Rooney, working as a BBC pundit, offered one explanation. He thinks Haaland may have been overwhelmed by the pressure of Wembley’s 85,000-strong crowd.
“When Haaland misses a penalty, you can clearly see the impact on him. Maybe he thought taking a penalty at Wembley was too much pressure! That could be the case — he’s human after all.”
Despite City’s disappointing season, Haaland has scored 30 goals across all competitions but has missed three of seven penalties.
Though he had played five matches at Wembley for City, Haaland hadn’t scored there until now. Despite getting chances, this time he didn’t take the penalty.
Rooney also pointed out a major difference between players like Haaland and legends like Messi and Ronaldo.
“He’s certainly a world-class forward, but when it comes to players like Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo… they never let anyone else take penalties in moments like this. That’s what separates them from players like Haaland or Kylian Mbappe. They are desperate and want to score every game.”
With Guardiola’s first trophyless season confirmed, City’s next challenge is to secure a Champions League spot next season. With two games remaining, they sit sixth in the Premier League. This year, five teams will qualify for the Champions League.
