The FA Cup reaches its dramatic conclusion as Crystal Palace look to make history against defending champions Manchester City at Wembley. With both sides in form and recent meetings producing goals galore, this promises to be anything but a routine final. Here’s my take on the clash—plus a betting angle to keep in mind.
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CRYSTAL PALACE v MANCHESTER CITY – Click here to bet
Wembley Stadium sets the stage for this season’s FA Cup Final as Crystal Palace go in search of their first-ever triumph in the competition, while Manchester City aim to lift the trophy for an eighth time.
Palace arrive full of belief after dispatching Aston Villa 3-0 in the semi-finals—a performance that underlined their growing confidence under Oliver Glasner. This marks just their third appearance in an FA Cup Final, with their two previous outings—both against Manchester United in 1990 and 2016—ending in heartbreak. This time, the Eagles face the other side of Manchester, hoping it’s third time lucky against Pep Guardiola’s dominant Citizens.
The Eagles’ path to Wembley has been impressive, blending resilience with attacking quality. They edged past Stockport County 1-0 in the opening round before a 2-0 win over Doncaster Rovers. A 3-1 victory at Millwall followed, before stepping up with consecutive 3-0 wins over Premier League opposition—first Fulham, then Aston Villa—to secure their place in Saturday’s final. Unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions, Palace arrive in good spirits after a 2-0 away win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
City, meanwhile, are no strangers to this stage. This is their third consecutive FA Cup Final, and Pep Guardiola’s side are targeting a second successive triumph and their third in the last seven seasons. They are unbeaten in their last ten matches across all competitions—winning seven—and although they were recently held to a goalless draw at Southampton, their form remains strong heading into the Wembley showdown.
Their route to the final has been largely dominant, beginning with an 8-0 demolition of Salford City. That was followed by a narrow 2-1 win over Leyton Orient and a 3-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle. City then edged Bournemouth 2-1 before seeing off Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the semi-finals to set up this all-Premier League final.
If recent encounters are anything to go by, expect fireworks. These two sides have already shared 11 goals across their meetings this season, including City’s 5-2 win at the Etihad and a 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park. Both teams have scored in each of the last four head-to-heads, producing 21 goals in total during that span.
Head-to-Head
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Crystal Palace (W4, D3), including a commanding 5-2 victory in their most recent encounter.
Betting
Crystal Palace 15/4
Draw 3/1
Manchester City 8/11
Verdict
Crystal Palace’s resurgence under Oliver Glasner has been impressive, and their route to Wembley shows they’re more than capable of rising to the occasion. However, facing a Manchester City side with pedigree, depth, and experience in domestic finals is a completely different challenge. City’s quality in the final third tends to shine through on big occasions, and while Palace may land a blow, Guardiola’s men should ultimately have too much firepower.
Suggested Bet: Result and Both Teams to Score – Manchester City and Yes at 12/5
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
