Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (FA Cup Final): Match Preview, Team News, Stats, Head to Head, How to Watch | OneFootball

Manchester City travel to Wembley Stadium as they participate in a third successive FA Cup Final in an attempt to save their underwhelming season and secure silverware.

Last time out, Manchester City partook in a somewhat laborious goalless draw with rock-bottom and already-relegated Southampton, as Pep Guardiola’s side were unable to break down Simon Rusk’s relentless low block.

The four-in-a-row Premier League champions, recently dethroned by Arne Slot’s Liverpool, registered a staggering 26 shots on the Southampton goal but could only muster five efforts on target.

The closest either side came to an opening strike was an effort in stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes from substitute Omar Marmoush, whose powerful effort thundered Aaron Ramsdale’s crossbar.

Unfortunately for the Blues, they could not find an answer for the home side’s resolute defence, and in the end it was two vital points dropped in a crucial game to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season.

Manchester City’s opponents on Saturday afternoon, Crystal Palace, come into the game in relatively good form, unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions, including a 3-0 win in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa.

In regard to the significance of the fixture for Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace side, it is perhaps the biggest game in their recent history, as the Eagles have their heart set on a first-ever major trophy.

For Manchester City, despite the Blues being seasoned veterans at Wembley, it is still incredibly significant, as the opportunity to secure major silverware would be a positive end to a rather lacklustre and difficult campaign for Pep Guardiola and his players.

It would also be of great significance to Kevin De Bruyne, as it is set to be his final ever trip to Wembley in sky blue after 10 years at the club. And being a serial winner, the number 17 will be determined to captain his side to glory and end his decade-long tenure on a high.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of one of the most anticipated games in English football; the FA Cup Final.

Match Details

Manchester City travel to Wembley Stadium this Saturday afternoon to take on Crystal Palace, with kick-off in the 2025 FA Cup Final scheduled for 16:30 GMT.

Match Officials

The Football Association has confirmed that Stuart Attwell will oversee proceedings in the FA Cup Final on Saturday afternoon.

Check out the full list of match officials below!

Team News

For Crystal Palace, both Chadi Riad Dnanou and Cheick Doucoure are expected to be sidelined for the fixture owing to knee injuries, while Adam Wharton is in line to make his return following an ankle/foot problem.

Manager Oliver Glasner said during his pre-match press conference, “Adam [Wharton] trained the whole week and is available, and all the others are fit. There are some tough decisions to take – but good decisions to take.”

As for Manchester City, John Stones remains sidelined following a thigh injury sustained back in February during the second-leg of the UEFA Champions League last-16 play-off tie against Real Madrid.

Nathan Aké has recently returned to training following his foot injury and subsequent surgery against Plymouth Argyle in March but is unlikely to feature for the Blues.

Similarly, despite the fact that he has now returned to first-team training, Rodri will also likely not be available for this clash, as Manchester City will be cautious of rushing the Spaniard back too quickly and will take all the necessary precautions before he returns to action.

Oscar Bobb has also returned to Manchester City training following a hamstring issue, although there is little likelihood of the Norwegian being too heavily involved before the end of the season due to the importance of the remaining fixtures.

Head To Head

In the last meeting between these two sides, a seven-goal thriller ensued. Eberechi Eze fired into an empty net past a scrambling Ederson to put his side a goal up with only eight minutes on the clock.

With just over 20 minutes gone, a Crystal Palace corner caused chaos inside the Manchester City penalty area as Chris Richards headed home to double the Eagles’ lead and gave the Blues a mountain to climb.

When Manchester City seemed hopeless, Kevin De Bruyne stepped up and dragged his team by their bootstraps in true captain fashion. He netted a brilliant free-kick to give his side hope, and just three minutes later, Omar Marmoush hammered home to level before the break.

City’s tenacity did not end there, as less than two minutes into the second 45 minutes, Mateo Kovačić struck true from the edge of the box, finding the far corner and completing the comeback.

Two Academy graduates put the seal on three points as James McAtee latched onto a brilliant ball from Ederson, rounding Dean Henderson and finished calmly, making it 4-2. Less than 15 minutes remaining and a deflected Nico O’Reilly strike secured an incredible 5-2 victory.

Manchester City have a great overall record against the South London side, as in the last 57 previous meetings, the Blues have emerged victorious 31 times, drawing 14 and losing the remaining 12.

Statistics

Manchester City are competing in their 14th FA Cup final. They have won the trophy seven times, behind only Arsenal (14), Manchester United (13), Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham (8 each).

Crystal Palace are competing in their third FA Cup final, losing to Manchester United in both 1990 and 2016. They are one of four clubs to compete in two finals without ever winning the trophy, along with Queens Park Rangers (1884 & 1885), Birmingham City (1931 & 1956) and Watford (1984 & 2019).

Manchester City lost the 2024 FA Cup final 2-1 against Manchester United. Only once before have they lost consecutive appearances in major domestic finals (FA Cup/League Cup), losing the 1926 and 1933 FA Cup showpieces against Bolton and Everton, respectively.

Manchester City have won their last three FA Cup meetings with Crystal Palace by an aggregate score of 18-4. The most recent meeting was in the fourth round in 2016-17, with the Blues winning 3-0 at Selhurst Park.

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with Crystal Palace in all competitions (W4 D3), since a 2-0 loss in the Premier League in October 2021.

How To Watch

For viewers in the United Kingdom, the game will be available on both BBC One and ITV1 as well as ITVX and BBC iPlayer, with action getting underway from 16:30 GMT.

For United States-based viewers, the game will be available to stream live on ESPN+ USA from 11:30 EST.

Check out the full global TV listings here!

City Xtra will have full live coverage available on our X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram channels throughout Wednesday evening, with content also provided on cityxtra.co.uk and YouTube!