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Crystal Palace vs Manchester City: FA Cup Final
The 144th edition of the FA Cup final will see Crystal Palace and Manchester City face off under the iconic arch of Wembley Stadium on Saturday afternoon, with both sides chasing very different kinds of history.
by Berba
For Crystal Palace, it’s a shot at immortality. The Eagles are contesting their third FA Cup final, having fallen short in their previous two appearances in 1990 and 2016—both against Manchester United. Now under Oliver Glasner, they aim to lift the first major trophy in the club’s 120-year history. Palace’s path to Wembley has been emphatic: after eliminating Stockport, Doncaster, Millwall, Fulham and Aston Villa, they arrive in the final having conceded just one goal across five rounds. Their semi-final performance—a commanding 3-0 win over Villa—epitomised their newfound swagger under Glasner, and they come into the showpiece on a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
Currently 12th in the Premier League and matching last season’s points tally with games to spare, Palace will now turn their focus entirely to Saturday’s final. Victory would not only secure long-awaited silverware but also guarantee Europa League football next season—marking their first European venture since 1998.
However, standing in their way is a club that has turned Wembley into a second home. Manchester City are contesting their 14th FA Cup final and seeking to win the competition for the eighth time. It also marks a third consecutive appearance in the final for Pep Guardiola’s side, who will be desperate to avoid back-to-back defeats after losing last season’s final to rivals Manchester United. City's semi-final win over Nottingham Forest followed earlier victories against Salford, Plymouth, Leyton Orient and Bournemouth, and they enter this weekend unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions.
With the Premier League title out of reach, the FA Cup represents City’s only shot at domestic silverware this season, and potentially a lifeline to keep their hopes of Champions League qualification alive—depending on how the final league games unfold. Guardiola’s men were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by already-relegated Southampton in their most recent league outing, but their record at Wembley—30 appearances since 2011—remains unmatched in English football over that period.
City have dominated past encounters with Palace, including a 5-2 Premier League win at the Etihad last month, in which the Eagles had surprisingly led by two goals. Palace have not beaten City in their last seven attempts (D3, L4), and have lost three of their four FA Cup meetings with them—the only win coming over a century ago in 1921.
In terms of team news, Palace could be without midfielder Adam Wharton, who is a doubt after missing the win over Spurs with an ankle issue. Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucoure remain long-term absentees, but the in-form Eberechi Eze—who has five goals in his last four games—is expected to feature in an advanced role, supported by Ismaila Sarr and leading scorer Jean-Philippe Mateta. Eddie Nketiah is also pushing for a start, while Dean Henderson is set to continue in goal against his former club.
Manchester City, meanwhile, are likely to be without Rodri, Nathan Ake, Oscar Bobb and John Stones, although some are nearing returns. Nico O’Reilly could continue in a makeshift full-back role, having impressed in the earlier rounds of the cup with five goal contributions. Kevin De Bruyne, is expected to start alongside Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva, with Erling Haaland leading the line. The Norwegian striker has six goals in four appearances against Palace but is yet to score in five Wembley outings for City—something he will be eager to change.
With history on the line for Palace and redemption in mind for City, Saturday’s final promises to be a compelling climax to this season’s oldest domestic cup competition.