The FA Cup is the oldest national football competition in the UK and worldwide. It kicked off in 1871, and 44 teams have lifted the trophy during this period. Some of the winning clubs don’t even exist anymore, like Wanderers Football Club, which won the first edition but closed in 1880. Over 150 years later, it could have a new winner - Crystal Palace. Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot of excitement, as the club has reached the finals only twice since the competition was created.
The Eagles will be facing Manchester City, which already has seven titles on its belt; the last one was two years ago. However, Crystal Palace had a formidable campaign, destroying Aston Villa by 3x0 in the semifinal, showing a quite resilient defence and fine-tuned attack, performing well even under pressure over the entire competition.
Manchester City is also in a great moment, having defeated everyone in its way, including a humiliating 8-0 victory over Salford City in the third round. Is it possible to point out a favourite? Keep reading and find out.
Betting on the best
No team reached the final by chance, and both sides proved their value several times during the competition. Still, the Citizens are largely considered favourites this time, as they had a tougher way to the top. So far, most statistics have materialised, like the draw with Bournemouth, which had over an 85% chance of occurring. That’s why FA Cup betting tips by Stake are so popular.
Besides, Man City won’t have many occasions to lift a trophy this year, apart from the FA Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup, so they’ll likely fight tooth and nail for it. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace hasn’t been to an FA Cup final since the 2015-16 season, and it didn’t end up well for them. However, the Eagles seem much stronger this year, with a defence that has conceded only one goal in five games, beating Fulham and Aston Villa by 3-0. So, despite the Citizens’ favouritism, it should be a tough choice for those who bet on FA Cup.
Typically, the FA Cup final is contested at night, but this year, a clash with the Eurovision Song Contest, which will happen on the same night (Saturday, May 17th), forced a change in the schedule. So, the match at the Wembley Stadium will take place at 16:30 this year, with live streaming on multiple channels and platforms worldwide.
Indeed, a lot of money is at stake for the best ones. Winners will take home GBP 2,000,000, but the runner-up and the third place will have a pretty sweet prize money, too: GBP 1,000,000. Meanwhile, the fourth place will bag GBP 500,000, which is not bad either.
The Situation at Man City
It hasn’t been a great season overall for the Citizens. Man City has indeed won the four previous Premier League titles. Still, sloppy performances this season resulted in losing the title to Liverpool, which now has the same number of EPL wins: 20. Pep Guardiola isn’t happy at all about the team’s performance. According to him, an FA Cup victory and the next Champions League qualification aren’t enough to qualify as “successful” this season.
In Guardiola’s words, the club is “a thousand million points behind Liverpool.” The lacklustre performance in the current Champions League is also a source of frustration, with only a couple of victories. At the same time, Guardiola insists that the Citizens “used to be a machine at that.” Still, the Spaniard is confident in his squad, which has shown its potential by reaching another important final.
Indeed, the EPL has Liverpool isolated in the leadership, 21 points ahead of Man City, while Man City is only one point apart from the clubs fighting for the top four positions. Guardiola was also pretty impressed by Crystal Palace’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, which demonstrated the high quality of his opponents in the final.
Some of Man City’s main squad players are also facing injuries. John Stones hasn’t played since his last Champions League appearance, and nobody knows when he’ll be able to play again. Nathan Ake is still recovering from surgery due to a foot fracture, and even though he’s back to training, it’s unclear whether he’ll be back for the final.
The Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri, has been out since September, but since he seems to be recovering his form, Pep Guardiola could still use him in the next game. The good news is that Erling Haaland is back and should start the match with De Bruyne, Foden, and Marmoush on the front line.
The Situation at Crystal Palace
Despite the less-than-impressive performance in the Premier League (currently sitting in 12th place), Crystal Palace comes from a strong campaign in the FA Cup. That’s why Oliver Gasner, the Eagles’ coach, isn’t planning anything special for this week. There will be time for training sessions and watching Man City’s video clips to learn more about the enemy.
Meanwhile, the players who started the match against Tottenham will have some time to rest. Since there are only a few days until the final, Gasner believes it would be unwise to change many things, as it could confuse players. The rule is clear: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, the Crystal Palace squad that is heading to its third FA Cup final in history looks pretty much the same as it was during the season.
Crystal Palace also faces injury problems, though not as many as Man City. Cheik Doucore is out for the rest of this season, while it’s unclear whether Adam Wharton will recover from his ankle injury against Nottingham Forest in time to face the Citizens. Otherwise, the squad is pretty much unchanged.
The Eagles’ frontline counts on Mateta, Eze, and Sarr, making a pretty powerful attack. Mateta has scored 17 times this season, while Ismaila Sarr scored twice in the 3-0 victory over Aston Villa in the semifinal. Eberechi Eze is also in a great moment, having scored four times in the previous five matches.
Key Players
Both sides have a handful of game-changers; those who want to take their chances in this final should know more about them. It may also be helpful to know that Kevin de Bruyne might be playing his last final with the Citizens, and the player has said he wishes to “leave a lasting legacy.”
So, the Belgian midfielder should be more motivated than ever in this match. Here are other players who can steal the show.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland may not have recovered his shape after an ankle injury last March, but he’s back and always dangerous. The Norwegian centre-forward is a scoring machine, having shaken the nets 21 times during this Premier League already. Indeed, Haaland can score easily with both feet and holds records like scoring 86 times in 89 games during the 2021/22 season. Unsurprisingly, Haaland is also a key player in the Norwegian national squad.
Phil Foden
Phil Foden emerged from Man City’s youth division to become one of the biggest stars of his generation. The young midfielder has been playing there since the under-9 level. When he was 22, Phil Foden had already scored 50 goals, surpassing Gabriel Jesus at the same age. Now at 24, Foden has consolidated his name as one of the most lethal players of English football.
Mateo Kovacic
The Croatian midfielder joined the Citizens in 2023, right on time to lift the FIFA Club World Cup and the club’s first Super Cup. He’s also the captain and the backbone of Croatia’s national team. Kovacic premiered in senior football in 2010, having played in some very important European clubs, including Real Madrid, Chelsea, Dynamo Zagreb, and others.
Kevin de Bruyne
It’s impossible to talk about Man City without mentioning the importance of Kevin de Bruyne, the team’s captain. De Bruyne joined the club in 2015, having quite a few glories with the light-blue jersey. During this period, he lifted over a dozen trophies, including a FIFA Club World Cup, two FA Cups, six Premier Leagues, and others. The Belgian midfielder also received a few individual honours, like UEFA Midfielder of the Year, City’s Player of the Season, and PFA Player of the Year, all from the 2019-20 season.
Omar Marmoush
Omar Marmoush arrived at the Etihad Stadium last January in the middle of a tough season. He was on the field for the 5-2 thrashing victory over Crystal Palace in April, which is partially why Man City fans are so confident about this final. Additionally, he scored thrice in the humiliating 4-0 victory over Newcastle. It’s easy to understand why Guardiola is so excited about him, and he’s set to start the next match.
Jean-Philippe Mateta
The French forward started collaborating with Crystal Palace on an 18-month loan in 2021 and has never left the club since. He became a hero for Eagles fans, winning the PFA Player’s Player of the Year (2023-24) and was named the club’s Player of the Season (2023-24) and Player of the Month last April. He’s the biggest scorer in the squad and one of Crystal Palace’s most dangerous men.
Ismaila Sarr
The Senegalese midfielder joined Crystal Palace in January 2024, and by December, he was appointed the Player of the Month. However, Ismaila Sarr arrived at the club after having already had a very successful career. While playing with Watford, he won the PFA Player’s Player of the Season, EFL Goal of the Season, between 2020 and 2023. Sarr was also scored the UEFA Europa League Goal of the Season in 2018, playing with Rennes.
Eberechi Eze
The Greenwich-born striker has been one of the most lethal players in the Premier League. Eze started his professional career in 2016, receiving several honours, like the Supporters’ Player of the Season (2019-20), Player’s Player of the Season, and PFA Team of the Season. Eze has also been the top player of the Eagles on a few occasions, including five times Player of the Month, six times Goal of the Month, and twice the Goal of the Season.
Daniel Muñoz
Oliver Gasner once said that Daniel Muñoz is “the wish of every manager,” and for several reasons. Gasner praised his “training mentality,” running and sprinting like no other player and giving his all in every match. The Colombian full-back joined the Eagles in January 2024, instantly becoming a central piece of the team’s defensive line. Despite his position, he won Crystal Palace’s Goal of the Month twice, last November and February, when he was also named the Player of the Month.
Marc Guehi
Here’s another defender who scores every once in a while. Like Muñoz, the Ivorian-born centre-back bagged the Goal of the Month last January. He has also been the Player of the Month twice and the Player’s Player of the Season (2021-22). Guehi is key in organising the club’s defensive line, which has been remarkably effective this season. Additionally, Guehi is a very reliable and resilient player, having played in nearly every match in the past two seasons.
While the odds favour Man City, this FA Cup final has huge potential to be an intense match. Crystal Palace comes from a great moment, and it may not be as easy for the Citizens to repeat April’s victory. However, if it’s true that Man City is having a difficult season, it’s also true that the club’s standards are pretty high.
Even though the squad isn’t at its peak this time, it remains a tremendously strong contender with some of the finest international football players. Still, Crystal Palace has long been craving an FA Cup trophy, and it’s expected to fight fiercely for it, meaning that Guardiola’s men probably won’t have an easy ride. Haaland and Mateta, the biggest scorers of each team, will be on the field, promising a thrilling game.
