Crystal Palace Timeline: 2020 to Present
The Crystal Palace timeline from 2020 to the present is the story of a club moving from Premier League survival into a far more ambitious era. It includes managerial change, squad renewal, rising expectations, Wembley triumphs and the club’s first European trophy. For supporters who lived through years of instability, this period feels like one of the most important chapters in modern Palace history.
This guide tracks the key moments from 2020 onward. For wider context, read our History of Crystal Palace FC and our Crystal Palace Trophy Cabinet.
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2020: survival, uncertainty and the end of a cycle
Crystal Palace entered the 2020s as an established Premier League club, but the wider picture was still cautious. Roy Hodgson’s experience helped Palace maintain top-flight status, yet the squad was ageing and supporters could see a rebuild approaching. The period was defined by pragmatism: stay up, protect the club’s Premier League place and prepare for the next phase.
The 2020/21 season would become Hodgson’s final campaign of his first spell. Palace were stable, but stability alone was no longer enough to excite supporters who wanted a younger, more progressive team.
2021: Patrick Vieira and a fresh identity
Patrick Vieira’s arrival in 2021 marked a clear change in tone. Palace refreshed the squad, added younger talent and shifted toward a more front-foot style. The change mattered because it suggested Palace were no longer content simply to survive. The club wanted to evolve while remaining in the Premier League.
Vieira’s first season brought optimism and an FA Cup semi-final. Even without silverware, the team felt renewed. Players such as Marc Guehi, Michael Olise and others became symbols of a more modern Palace.
2022 and 2023: progress, pressure and another reset
The next phase was more complicated. Palace had talent, but turning promise into consistent league results proved difficult. Vieira left in 2023, and Roy Hodgson returned to guide the club away from danger. It was a reminder that Premier League progress is rarely smooth for clubs outside the financial elite.
Even so, the squad’s quality remained clear. The foundations laid through recruitment and academy development would become important later in the decade.
2024: Oliver Glasner and a surge in belief
Oliver Glasner’s appointment in 2024 brought another tactical shift and a surge of energy. Palace finished that season with renewed confidence, and the team began to look like more than a lower-mid-table survivor. The style became sharper, the attacking threat more convincing and the supporters more hopeful.
This was the bridge between stability and success. Palace had been in the Premier League for years, but Glasner’s impact helped turn that platform into something more ambitious.
2025: FA Cup glory and Wembley history
The defining moment of the modern Crystal Palace timeline came in 2025, when the Eagles won the 2024/25 FA Cup by beating Manchester City at Wembley. Eberechi Eze’s goal delivered the club’s first major domestic trophy and changed Palace history instantly.
That victory was followed by the 2025 FA Community Shield, another Wembley success, this time against Liverpool on penalties after a 2-2 draw. For a club long associated with near-misses, two Wembley trophies in one year felt extraordinary.
2026: European champions
In 2026, Palace completed another historic step by winning the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League. The final victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig gave the club its first European trophy and secured a place in the 2026/27 Europa League. It was the kind of achievement that earlier generations of supporters could barely have imagined.
The modern timeline therefore ends, for now, with Palace in a very different position from where they started the decade: established, decorated and taken seriously beyond England.
Key moments from 2020 to present
- 2020: Palace remain established in the Premier League under Roy Hodgson.
- 2021: Patrick Vieira arrives and leads a squad refresh.
- 2022: Palace reach an FA Cup semi-final under Vieira.
- 2023: Hodgson returns after Vieira’s departure.
- 2024: Oliver Glasner takes charge and raises momentum.
- 2025: Palace win the FA Cup and Community Shield.
- 2026: Palace win the UEFA Conference League.
FAQ
What is the biggest Crystal Palace moment since 2020?
The 2025 FA Cup win is the defining domestic moment, while the 2026 UEFA Conference League win is the club’s defining European achievement.
Who were the key managers in this era?
Roy Hodgson, Patrick Vieira and Oliver Glasner all shaped the period in different ways.
Why does this era matter?
It turned Palace from a stable Premier League club into a trophy-winning side with European success.
Useful official sources include Palace’s 2025 FA Cup final report and 2026 Conference League announcement.
