FA Cup Final: Pep Guardiola Sends Message to Chelsea After Man City Beat Crystal Palace
- Pep Guardiola turned his attention to the FA Cup final after Manchester City beat Crystal Palace
- The win helped Man City close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table to two points
- City will take on London club Chelsea in the FA final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 16, 2026
Pep Guardiola quickly turned his attention to the FA Cup final after Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Etihad in the Premier League.
Antoine Semenyo, Omar Marmoush and Savinho got on the scoresheet to give City crucial three points in the Premier League title race.
Source: Getty Images
The win helped Manchester City close the gap behind Arsenal on the Premier League table to two points, with two matches remaining for both teams.
City’s match at the weekend against AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium was shifted to Tuesday, May 19, 2026, because of the FA Cup final.
Guardiola sends message to Chelsea
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola shifted his full focus to the FA Cup after the win over Crystal Palace and warned that his “fatigued” side will be full of confidence.
“Of course, [we have the] FA Cup final, but we also have three days, Chelsea are at home preparing for the final. We have to travel to London, and they will be at home,” he said as quoted by Mancity.com.
“That is fatigue and fatigue and fatigue. I have full confidence in all the squad. Imagine all the players that didn’t play today, they are so good.
“It’s a pleasure to go to the cathedral again to play the final. Hopefully it’s better than the last two times.”
City have won a final at Wembley this season, beating Arsenal 2-0 to win the Carabao Cup, but their last two visits to the FA Cup final have been losses.
The Citizens, playing in their fourth consecutive FA Cup final, lost 2-1 to city rivals Manchester United in 2024 and 1-0 to Crystal Palace in 2025.
Chelsea’s final jinx at Wembley
As noted by Blues Champions, Chelsea have a far worse record at Wembley than their opponents, Manchester City, having lost six consecutive finals at the stadium.
The losing streak started in the 2019 Carabao Cup final when Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea lost on penalties to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
The Blues lost three consecutive FA Cup finals in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to Arsenal, Leicester City and Liverpool, before consecutive League Cup losses to Liverpool in 2022 and 2024.
Source: Getty Images
Chelsea’s last three finals at the iconic stadium have ended in losses to Liverpool, twice in the League Cup and once in the FA Cup.
Former Chelsea star Mason Mount lost six consecutive finals at the stadium, including EFL Championship playoffs, until he won the FA Cup with Manchester United in 2024.
What Man City need to win PL
Legit.ng previously analysed what Manchester City need to win the Premier League title with two matches left after beating Crystal Palace.
Beyond the FA Cup final, Pep Guardiola's major headache is how to displace Arsenal and win the Premier League title despite the Gunners’ advantage.
Source: Legit.ng
