Crystal Palace go for glory as Man City seek salvation in FA Cup final.

London (AFP) – Crystal Palace faces history at Wembley Stadium in Saturday’s FA Cup final, while Manchester City has one more chance to avoid a rare trophyless season under Pep Guardiola. Palace, although being FA Cup runners-up twice, has never won a major trophy in its 119-year history. The Eagles believe this is their chance to face a City side that has fallen from grace during Guardiola’s trophy-laden reign. Palace warmed up for the Wembley showpiece by beating Tottenham 2-0 last weekend, equalling their Premier League record of 49 points with two games remaining.

The south London club finished in the top ten for the first time in Premier League history last season after only a few months under Oliver Glasner. Another top-half finish appears doubtful, but progress has continued under the Austrian courtesy to FA Cup exploits, including a 3-0 win over Champions League quarter-finalists Aston Villa in the final four. Eberechi Eze is the primary threat to City, having scored five goals in his last four games. However, he is one of just four England internationals who reached the Euro 2024 final and is expected to start for Palace on Saturday, along with Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi, and Adam Wharton. “It means everything,” remarked Eze about the possibility of receiving the club’s first taste of silverware.

“We understand what it means to the fans and the club.” We will offer everything we have to place ourselves in the best possible situation. “We are confident. We know that if we just do what we do and are the best versions of ourselves, we can beat any team.” Victory would also seal Palace’s first-ever entry into one of Europe’s main club competitions, with a place in the Europa League on the line.

Haaland fit for the final

City’s laboured performance in drawing a blank against bottom-of-the-table Southampton last weekend gave Palace even more reason to believe. Guardiola’s team, on the other hand, has gone unbeaten in ten games, including a 5-2 Premier League victory over Palace last month after trailing 2-0. Kevin De Bruyne spearheaded City’s comeback at the Etihad Stadium that day. The Belgian has only three games left as a City player after a spectacular decade in Manchester, and he will be looking to add to his 14 major accolades. “He has had an incredible time at Manchester City,” said the club’s leading scorer, Erling Haaland. “It’s unbelievable how many prizes he has won. Hopefully, he will receive one more trophy.”

After winning four straight English top-flight titles, City is again battling for a top-five Premier League finish and a spot in the Champions League next season. Anything less than success would conclude what Haaland termed as a “horrendous” campaign for a team of serial winners. Since Guardiola’s arrival at City in 2016/17, the club has not finished a season without a trophy. “Going to Wembley is a nice habit, and winning trophies is always crucial. We had the FA Cup final to play for, and despite a terrible season, we managed to achieve so,” the Norwegian added. Haaland is expected to start after returning from six weeks out injured against Southampton last Saturday.

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