“I put him in this” – Erling Haaland breaks silence on Omar Marmoush’s FA Cup Final penalty miss | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has taken full responsibility for Omar Marmoush’s penalty miss in last season’s FA Cup Final defeat to Crystal Palace.

City’s defeat to Crystal Palace remains one of the most surprising and talked-about results of Pep Guardiola’s reign and while dominating most of the game, the Premier League giants failed to capitalise on opportunities, including a first-half penalty.

At the time, the decision for Marmoush – who had joined from Eintracht Frankfurt midway through the season – to step up ahead of Erling Haaland raised eyebrows. With experienced takers like the Norwegian on the pitch, many wondered why the Egyptian was entrusted with such a critical moment in what was then a game that had Palace one goal ahead.

It was the South London club whose singular first-half goal from Eberechi Eze secured Oliver Glasner’s side their first-ever major trophy, and a place in European competition for the 2025/26 season.

Now, with the dust settled and a new season underway, Erling Haaland has spoken publicly about that moment for the first time, and accepted full accountability for the decision, whilst also giving insight into his evolving role as a leader at Manchester City.

Speaking exclusively to TIME magazine, Haaland was keen to take on the responsibility behind Manchester City’s penalty miss by Omar Marmoush in the 2025 FA Cup Final defeat to Crystal Palace.

“I shouldn’t have given it to a new player. So all the responsibility is on me,” Haaland admitted. “I put him in this situation. I had a good feeling on him. But I should have taken it myself.”

The taking of responsibility in such a high-pressure situation also coincides with Haaland being named in Manchester City’s revamped leadership group for the forthcoming season – a decision personally taken by Pep Guardiola.

“I’m quite calm in my head. That’s a good thing to bring to others as well, even when the situation can be a bit wild,” he said in response to the promotion within the squad.

Reflecting on last season, Haaland added, “I almost forgot it until you started speaking about it. I cannot keep on thinking about last season. That last season was not good enough, this or that.

“That’s the best part of football; there’s always something new that’s coming. You have to think about what is coming next and live in the present moment.”

Haaland’s comments will likely be appreciated by both fans and teammates, signalling a step forward in his maturity and accountability on and off the pitch.

His inclusion in the new-look leadership group underlines Pep Guardiola’s desire to evolve the team dynamic following the departures of long-time figures such as Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker.

For Omar Marmoush, the moment will no doubt linger, but support from one of world football’s biggest stars could prove pivotal as he looks to integrate fully into Pep Guardiola’s system this season.

With pre-season now in full swing and Manchester City set to take on Palermo on 9 August, the focus has already shifted to rebuilding and bouncing back from last season’s missed opportunities.

As Manchester City prepare to launch another assault on multiple fronts, including the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, Erling Haaland’s influence – not just as a goal machine but as a leader – could be more important than ever.