On paper, it's just another Manchester City final to confirm their dominance. In life, it's an actual chance for Crystal Palace to pull a shock over England. Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley brings together two sides that operate in two very different realities but both show up with stinging words, spirit-filled teams, and above all, valid reasons to fight it out for the trophy. City is looking to avoid the shame of a poor season. Palace would love to write the best chapter in its history.
Palace and City's path to the final
Palace did not get here by accident. They made their way round by round using a hard-tackling, collective, and unfearful style. They began with a narrow 1-0 win over Stockport. That was followed by a 2-0 win over Doncaster and a 3-1 win over Millwall. In the quarterfinals, they trounced Fulham with a neat 3-0. The semifinal game against Aston Villa was believed to be the real test. Palace made it look easy: 3-0 and a final spot.
Simultaneously, City began their FA Cup campaign with an 8-0 destruction of Salford. Tightly followed by victories against Leyton (2-1), Plymouth (3-1), and Bournemouth (2-1). At the semifinal stage, a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest. Strong results, but the performances weren't up to our standards. Guardiola isn't downplaying the fact that his mind is completely set on this final. "It's the FA Cup final, an honor and a privilege". Clearly, we have to play well," he said.
Latest meeting between the two sides
Latest showdown between the duo had it all. On April 12, in the Premier League, Palace went 2-0 ahead, saw a third ruled out for wafer-thin offside, and nearly made it 3-0 at halftime. City eventually got through it to win 5-2, but only after a scare. "We didn't start slowly," Guardiola stated. "But on a play and on a set piece, we didn't defend well." City's display was sloppy, and that gives Palace real belief for the rematch.
Injuries to one, recovery to another
Oliver Glasner is optimistic, and he has a full squad to select from. He reaffirmed Adam Wharton is fit to play and suggested preparation work focused primarily on themselves. Like a normal game," he explained. "More to be done with attention and interviews during the week, but our preparation was really similar to a Premier League game." Glasner is keen to keep doing what has been working so far. "We were focused on what we want to do tomorrow, glanced at Manchester City, but 90% of that was about us".
The boss highlighted his side's attitude and blend. "Adam [Wharton] has worked all week and is in good shape, and the other lot are fit. There are some hard choices to make, but also some good ones." Palace is counting on Eze, Sarr, and Mateta as top assets. The three have come up trumps when it mattered most in the current campaign. Sarr was excellent in the semifinal against Villa. Mateta played a huge role in the win over City. Eze is playing some of his best soccer yet.
On the other side, Guardiola’s fully focused on the match, brushing off talk of Tuesday’s clash with Bournemouth. “I’m only thinking about tomorrow’s game.”
The City boss also praised Palace’s standout players. “Mateta is strong on long passes and after that, I’d say their quality with Eze is obvious. Sarr punished Villa quite a bit in the semifinal. (Adam) Wharton is a very good midfielder who links things well.”
For Guardiola, Palace is a team in great form, having good thoughts and capable of keeping up with it. "They're a fantastic team. They had a fantastic season, the second half especially."
Palace isn’t dazzled by the big stage. Glasner made it clear the routine stayed intact. “The focus was on our game, and maybe on making one or two small adjustments because the players have done really well over the past few weeks. We’re very confident and looking forward to the final.”