This Saturday at 4:30 Manchester City will face Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium to battle it out for the country’s oldest competition, the FA Cup. In the last 10 years Manchester City have made it to five FA Cup finals including this season’s final. Manchester City have won seven FA Cup’s in their history whereas Crystal Palace are looking to win their first ever major trophy.
Manchester City earned their place in the final very convincingly. Manchester City swept aside Nottingham Forest in a comfortable 2-0 victory, an early Rico Lewis goal and a late goal scored by Croatian international Josko Gvardiol secured their place in this weekend’s final as Manchester City try to turn their season from an underwhelming one to a successful one.
This Is the Etihad Stadium which is the home of Manchester City, City have a very contrasting history to their opponents on Saturday having won two FA Cups in the last six years alone and who’s fans make what seems to be their yearly trip to Wembley Stadium.
I spoke with Manchester City fan and social media worker @BigSteveMCFC who had this to say about whether winning the FA Cup would make this underwhelming season a success.
“Yes, I think it would end up a good season, if most clubs won the fa cup only, they would class it as a good season, what city have done over last decade is not normal so an fa cup after 4 in a row I’ll take it”
In recent years football fans have claimed that the FA Cup is losing its pedigree due to clubs now prioritising a top four finish over this competition and teams not fielding their strongest teams for cup games.
Steve had this to say about whether he thinks the FA Cup is still viewed as a big trophy to win,
“Yes I think it’s the oldest and most prestigious cup competition in the world I feel like all the fans of teams in England dream of winning the fa cup one day, I don’t think the semi- finals at Wembley help I think they take the limelight off the final a bit, if one day we go back to semis at neutral grounds and the big one at Wembley I believe that would be better”
When asked to expand on the point made about having the semi-finals at neutral venues Steve said,
“I want neutral venues back leave Wembley for the final, some great games were played at villa park and Maine road back in the day, I believe Wembley has got to be the special place for the final”
For Crystal Palace they will be hoping it is third time lucky in this final as they lost their two previous finals in 1990 and 2016 both against Manchester United, now it is their chance to see if they have better luck against the blue half of Manchester.
Crystal Palace swept Aston Villa aside 3-0 in the Semi-final with goals from In-form Ebere Eze and a brace from Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr. The score could have been even more as Jean-Phillipe Mateta had a controversial goal ruled out and missed a penalty.
This is Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner’s first full season in charge of the Eagles and he could become the first manager in the club’s 120-year history. This would be Glasner’s second managerial major trophy following his Europa League triumph with Eintracht Frankfurt against Rangers in 2022.
Crystal Palace have a fully fit squad going into the weekends game with all their star players fit and ready. The long-term absence of Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure are out for the rest of the season and have been out for a long time.
These clubs have faced each other twice this season with Manchester City winning 5-2 at the Etihad and in the reverse fixture Crystal Palace earned themselves a valiant 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park.
The front gates at the home of Crystal Palace, Selhurst Park. Fans of the eagles have been coming here and supporting their team since 1924, this weekend them fans could be rewarded for their support with their long-awaited first major trophy.
If Manchester City prevail on Saturday this will be Pep Guardiola’s 3rd FA Cup and 18th title in just nine years. Manchester City lost last season’s FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester United so they will be looking to change their recent Wembley fortunes around.
I asked Steve about his prediction for the game, and this is what he had to say,
“I think city will win it 2-1 I think palace are a good side and we need to be so careful, but I think we are looking good towards the end of the season so I’m going 2-1 city I think Marmoush and Haaland for the goals Eze for them”
Manchester City have no fresh injury concerns with the only players missing being Rodri, John Stones and Nathan Ake who all have long-term injury problems. Manchester City have been boosted by the recent return of prolific goal scorer Erling Haaland who made his long-awaited return against Southampton.
Crystal Palace are going into this final off the back of a comprehensive 2-0 win against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a brace from Eze. Manchester City on the other hand come into this game having drawn 0-0 against bottom of the league Southampton.
This Saturday on the hallowed turf of Wembley Stadium one of these teams will be crowned FA Cup champions and etch themselves into their club’s history.
Manchester City’s Road to the Final
3rd Round: Salford City (H) 8-0
4th Round: Leyton Orient (A)
5th Round: Plymouth Argyle (H) 3-1
QF: Bournemouth (A) 2-1
SF: Nottingham Forest (N) 2-0
Crystal Palace’s Road to the Final
3rd Round: Stockport County (H) 1-0
4th Round: Doncaster Rovers (A) 2-0
5th Round: Millwall (H) 3-1
QF: Fulham (A) 3-0
SF: Aston Villa (N) 3-0
H= Home
A= Away
N= Neutral
