Preview of 2025 FA Cup Final between Manchester City and Crystal Palace

by Mick the Ram

One of England’s biggest annual sporting occasions takes place this Saturday, 17 May, when Wembley Stadium plays host to the 153rd FA Cup Final. 

Manchester City and Crystal Palace will meet in a proper north verses south contest, with Pep Guardiola’s side the very strong favourites to come out on top.

They were of course beaten finalists 12 months ago, suffering a double blow by not only losing, but doing so to their bitter rivals, Manchester United.

This is actually their third successive appearance in the final, with them winning the trophy in 2023, when it was they who claimed the city bragging rights, overcoming United quite comfortably, despite the 2-1 scoreline making the game seem much closer than it actually was. 

This season has not gone according to plan for the Manchester outfit, so a cup win would go some way to softening the blow, but Palace will be all out to make sure that does not happen.

The South London club have never won a major trophy in their entire 119-year history, twice tasting defeat in the final, so they’ll be looking for a third time lucky scenario.

The Eagles boss Oliver Glasner will become the first Austrian to take charge of a team in an FA Cup final and he has made a tremendous impression on the side since taking charge just over a year ago.

The winners will receive £2,000,000, with the runners-up collecting £1,000,000 from the competition’s prize fund, but such are the riches in the Premier League these days, the money is in truth, of reduced importance.

It is the prestige of walking up the Wembley steps to lift the coveted trophy and getting the line “FA Cup winner” on a CV that is the greatest incentive for the players. 

Even though Crystal Palace will start as underdogs, history has proved anything can happen in these finals.

Special competition

Even though the early rounds of the cup are perhaps not quite as popular as they used to be, once the latter stages arrive, then everybody takes the competition deadly seriously.

There remains a certain mystique attached to it and every now and then there is a year whereby it seems a particular team’s name is on the trophy from the start.

Name on the cup?

Several times in the past 50 years or so, there have been clubs who are nowhere near the top of the betting when the competition gets going, but they seem to get on a role and it almost feels that it is meant to be.

Sides like: Sunderland in the seventies, Coventry and Wimbledon in the eighties and more recently Wigan in 2013, just seemed destined to lift the cup in their respective years, from a very early stage.

Wigan of course gained their victory in the same year as they suffered relegation, but it just seemed to be their time to win the cup, and they did so by beating… Manchester City.

Nothing to lose

Crystal Palace, who have actually had a very good season anyway, will be fully aware that they pretty much have nothing to lose and will approach the game with great optimism. 

They made it to the final courtesy of a very impressive semi-final win over Aston Villa, who themselves were flying at the time. The 3-0 win did not flatter the Londoners and with the outstanding form that Ebere Eze carries into the game, they will genuinely fancy their chances.

They play to a structure that suits them, with every player knowing their precise role and with pace and strength throughout the side, they have every right to feel confident.

Real talent in the squad 

England internationals Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton are big players for the Selhurst Park club and the latter looks set to return after injury, which would be a big boost.

An unsung hero in the squad is Will Hughes who may not make the starting eleven, but his ability on the ball and reading of the game are hugely important and he could yet be a key component if Palace are to get the better of their much-fancied opponent. 

Third time lucky?

This is their third FA Cup final, losing to Manchester United in both 1990 and 2016. They are one of only four clubs to compete in two finals without ever winning the cup.

They have played rounds five, six and the semi-final all in London (beating Millwall at home, Fulham away and Villa at Wembley), so they will look to continue that run on Saturday.

Poor season by own high standards

It would be fair to say that when the season began last August, Manchester City would not have believed that they would arrive at this weekend with the FA Cup as their only hope of lifting silverware. 

They would have expected to be challenging in the final weeks for the Premier title and also possibly be planning for a Champions League Final as well.

It has not turned out that way by any stretch of the imagination and defeat in this would represent genuine failure. 

The impossibly high standards that they have set over the past decade meant it was inevitable that they would hit a bump, but in recent weeks they do seem to have recaptured some form, so will go into this game with some restored optimism.

Chasing win number eight

This is their 14th FA Cup Final, with them winning on seven occasions, leaving them trailing behind Arsenal (14) and neighbours United (13). However, a victory on Saturday would see them draw level as equal third on 8 wins with Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham.

The northern powerhouse have won their last three FA Cup matches with Crystal Palace by an aggregate score of 18-4 and are unbeaten in their last seven meetings with the Eagles in all competitions, over a four year span. 

Looking for a fitting send off

This game will be Kevin de Bruyne’s fourth FA Cup final appearance with City and for the fans sadly it will also be his last, with him set to move on at the end of the season.

He will be desperate to sign off with a win and possibly a goal, or at least an assist and Erling Haaland will be a player looking to benefit if he does, as he has not managed to score in any of his five previous Wembley appearances for City.

Untroubled path

They have had a relatively straightforward path to the final, seeing off lower league sides up to the quarter finals where the accounted for Bournemouth, before dispatching a sorry Notts Forest outfit in the semis. 

They could also have a massive boost for the final with 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri recovered from his anterior cruciate ligament injury that has seen him miss most of the season.

There is talk of a surprise inclusion at least on the bench and who would bet against him netting the winner – maybe from a de Bruyne assist!

Whatever happens, with two attack-minded sides of contrasting styles going head-to-head, this promises to be an absolute cracker.