Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson has become an overnight hero for their side as he held his nerves brilliantly to make outstanding saves in the penalty shootout in the FA Cup final against Liverpool at the Wembley Stadium. However, it's worth looking how his secret weapon helped him as Henderson unveiled it before the penalty shootout.
The thrilling decider ended in 2-2 after full time as Jean-Phillipe Mateta and Ismaila Sarr scored for Crystal Place, while Hugo Ekitike and Jeremie Fringpong netted goals for Liverpool. It all came down to penalties as Crystal Palace won 3-2 to claim the FA Cup title. Henderson, who carried the team's hopes, going into the penalty shootout, saved goals struck by Alexis Mac Allister and Harvey Elliott to send fans into jubilation.
As explained by The Sun.co.uk, Henderson had carried a water bottle, citing the direction in which every Liverpool player is likely to shoot. As per reports, the 28-year-old gave the bottle to one of the fans in the stadium.
"The homework we did for the penalties was great" - Dean Henderson
Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, the 28-year-old revealed that he prides himself on thriving under pressure and credited everyone involved for helping him through it. Henderson said:
"I love being in that pressure moment and I really enjoyed that today. The preparation we did for the penalties was great. So thanks to everyone behind the scenes who helped me with that. The homework we did for the penalties was great."
One of the most striking moments of the FA Cup final was also Henderson getting involved in what looked like a scuffle against Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. However, it didn't escalate to anything serious.
