All eyes will be on Wembley this Saturday as Manchester City and Crystal Palace lock horns in what promises to be a gripping FA Cup final showdown.
Crystal Palace vs Manchester City Preview
- Competition: FA Cup Final 2025
- Date: Saturday, 17 May 2025
- Kick-off Time: 4:30 PM BST
- Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
- Where to Watch: BBC One, ITV1 (UK), ESPN+ (USA)
For Pep Guardiola’s City, the match offers a shot at silverware in a season where their Premier League dominance has waned. After falling short of defending their league crown and EFL Cup glory, and suffering disappointment in the Champions League, City are desperate to avoid ending the domestic campaign empty-handed. Victory would hand Guardiola his 13th major domestic trophy since arriving in England.
Their opponents, Crystal Palace, approach this clash with belief and bold ambition. The Eagles are chasing a historic first FA Cup title and have impressed on their road to the final—most recently dismantling Aston Villa 3-0 in the semi-final. They’ve won 4 of their 5 cup games this season without conceding, showing resilience and tactical maturity that could trouble even the best.
Palace may be the underdogs, but their spirits are high. Their last FA Cup final appearance ended in heartbreak, and they’ll be determined to flip the script this time around.
City, who overturned a 2-0 deficit to beat Palace 5-2 earlier this season, have not displayed the same ruthless edge in recent weeks. While they sit 4th in the Premier League with 65 points, this campaign has fallen short of expectations. Guardiola’s men were stunned by local rivals Manchester United in last season’s FA Cup final, and they will be eager to set the record straight.
Crystal Palace, currently 12th in the league with 49 points, have been enjoying a strong finish to the season and have nothing to lose going into this final. If they can channel their recent form and keep their defensive shape, an early surprise at Wembley isn’t off the cards.
Erling Haaland is back in the fold for City after a spell out and should lead the line, while Stefan Ortega is expected to start in goal as Guardiola sticks with his cup tradition, according to Livescore.com.
Injured Players
Crystal Palace: Chadi Riad and Cheick Doucouré
Manchester City: Rodri, Oscar Bobb, John Stones and Nathan Aké.
