The decisive FA Cup clash between Crystal Palace and Manchester City is set to take place on May 17 at the iconic Wembley Stadium in London.
Match preview
The Eagles have confidently navigated their path to the FA Cup final, claiming victories in all five rounds of the tournament. In the opening three stages, they easily dispatched lower-division sides, but the last two rounds saw them face Premier League opposition.
Even then, Oliver Glasner’s men left no chance for their rivals, keeping clean sheets throughout. First, they thrashed Fulham 3-0 away, and then put in another commanding performance at Wembley to defeat Aston Villa by the same scoreline. This marks just the third FA Cup final in club history (the previous appearance was in 2016).
Man City have now reached the FA Cup final for a third consecutive season. Last time out, the Citizens were beaten in the decisive match by Manchester United (1-2), but in the 2022/23 season, Pep Guardiola’s side claimed the trophy with the same scoreline. In this year’s tournament, City, like their Crystal Palace counterparts, have come through all five rounds without losing in regular time.
City started the campaign against lower-tier opposition, and in the later rounds overcame Bournemouth away (2-1) before confidently dispatching Nottingham Forest at Wembley (2-0). Overall, City have won 16 of their last 17 FA Cup ties, underlining their status as one of the competition’s top favourites.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 10 matches, winning seven and drawing three.
- The teams have met twice already this season. The first match in London ended in a thrilling 2-2 draw. In the reverse fixture at the Etihad, City came from 0-2 down to pull off a dramatic 5-2 victory over Palace.
- Crystal Palace have not beaten Manchester City in their last seven encounters, recording three draws and four wins for Guardiola’s side during that span.