Manchester City are set to face Crystal Palace this Saturday in the 2024-25 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Pep Guardiola`s side will be looking for their first significant trophy of the season (or second, counting the 2024 Community Shield won last August). This hasn`t been City`s strongest campaign; they are currently fighting for a spot in the next Champions League and were knocked out of this year`s edition by Real Madrid before the later knockout stages. Despite a less dominant season by their standards under Guardiola, Manchester City still have the opportunity to lift the FA Cup, a highly prestigious trophy in English football history.
For Crystal Palace, led by Oliver Glasner, winning the FA Cup would mark a historic achievement, as the club has never secured a major top-flight trophy in its history. Last season, Manchester City lost the FA Cup final 2-1 to cross-town rivals Manchester United. Now, Guardiola`s team has an immediate chance to bounce back and claim the trophy just twelve months later. Here`s key information about the final:
How to watch FA Cup final
- Date: Saturday, May 17 | Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Wembley, London, England
- Live stream: ESPN
- Odds: Crystal Palace +340; Draw +270; Man City -135
What Man City are saying
Speaking ahead of the final on Friday, Pep Guardiola commented: “It`s the final of the FA Cup, an honor and privilege. Of course, we have to perform well. We travel to London and we will try to win the title. Mateta is strong on long balls and after that, I would say their quality with Eze is obvious. Sarr in the semifinal punished Villa a lot. Adam Wharton is a really good holding midfielder who links well. It is a final. If we played against Villa it would be the same. When we are here we want to lift the trophy. Last year we were disappointed with our performance. To win the trophy you have to be there and win previous games and we have done it many times in previous years.”
Lineups
Crystal Palace XI: Dean Henderson; Chris Richards, Maxence Lacroix, Marc Guehi; Daniel Munoz, Daichi Kamada, Adam Wharton, Tyrick Mitchell; Eberechi Eze, Ismaila Sarr; Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Man City XI: Stefan Ortega; Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nico O`Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Kevin De Bruyne; Jeremy Doku, Omar Marmoush, Savinho; Erling Haaland.
Player to watch
Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City — This match could be Kevin De Bruyne`s last final appearance for Manchester City, as reports indicate the Belgian star may depart the club at the end of the current season. This final represents a final chance for KDB to win a trophy and potentially cap off his successful tenure at City with another major title before exploring a new opportunity elsewhere. If Manchester City are victorious, it would be remembered as the final trophy won by a key player of this era.
Storyline to watch
Will Guardiola secure a major trophy? Despite what some might consider a somewhat underwhelming season by their usual standards, Manchester City and Pep Guardiola managed to improve their league position and are now strong contenders to finish in the top five, securing Champions League qualification – a prospect that seemed uncertain just a few months ago. However, winning a major trophy like the FA Cup would undeniably reshape the perception of their season, turning it from potentially disappointing into a successful one.
Prediction
While Crystal Palace has strong motivation to claim their first ever major trophy, Manchester City possesses a significantly more talented squad with extensive experience in playing and winning major finals. They are better equipped to handle the pressure and demands of this occasion.
Pick: Manchester City 3, Crystal Palace 1.
