Dean Henderson has found himself the centre of controversy after handling the ball in the FA Cup final clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester City.
The goalkeeper clawed the ball away from Erling Haaland but was reprieved because VAR felt the Norwegian was diverting the ball away from goal.
However, fans on social media were left astonished by the decision to let the England international stay on - with some feeling his dismissal felt inevitable.
"HOW IS THAT NOT A RED CARD????" were the words of one user.
Dean Henderson has found himself the centre of controversy after handling the ball in the FA Cup final clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester City
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A second said: "HOW HAS DEAN HENDERSON GOT AWAY WITH THIS>"
A third weighed in by saying: "I’m so confused how it isn’t, why does it matter if it’s stopping a goal scoring opportunity, he handled it outside the box so surely a straight red."
Another wrote: "There’s no debate to be had - it’s a red."
And a fifth raged: "That’s EASILY the worst VAR decision of all time."
However, Alan Shearer explained the decision while commentating for the BBC.
"There's no doubt that Dean Henderson touches that with his hand," he said.
"It is clear to me that Erling Haaland is going away from goal."
City dominated the early stages of the FA Cup final, with Pep Guardiola's side putting Henderson under pressure.
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Dean Henderson has handled the ball outside the box.
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) May 17, 2025
VAR ARE CHECKING THIS! pic.twitter.com/iJekTyrhwx
Yet they found themselves behind after 16 minutes, with Eberechi Eze scoring expertly to spark wild celebrations on the right of the ground.
City thought they'd be able to draw level when they were given a penalty in the 34th minute.
Erling Haaland initially stepped up, with everybody inside the ground expecting him to take it and score.
However, he gave the ball to Omar Marmoush instead - with Henderson then denying the former Frankfurt star from the spot.
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Speaking before the final, the shot-stopper said that he was hoping to make his late father proud as Palace look to win the FA Cup for the first time.
"I always look up and he's always there in my corner. He will be kicking every ball with me," he said.
"I'm looking forward to seeing what power he can give me on the day.
"He passed away a couple of days after the Euros [in 2024], so luckily I got home to see him, which was nice.
"He'd have been delighted to see me in the FA Cup final. I actually got a message before the semi-final from a neighbour laying red and blue flowers at his grave, and she sent me a video of it.
"That was a big motivation. That was great. It didn't sink in until the next day, really. It would be phenomenal to go and tell him about it."
