Goodbye!

That’s all from us on a historic day for Crystal Palace. A first ever major trophy and a first time competing in Europe next season as a result.

The Eagles and their fans will be partying long into the night, I’m sure. And who can blame them.

‘Glasner works players so hard’

Oliver Glasner is so detailed, everyone knows their role.

I’ve been to the training ground and seen him work players so hard.

Eze is not one of those who wants to run up and down in training, he wants to showboat, but in training he puts in 100% effort and that’s down to the manager.

‘Palace believed in the plan’

Crystal Palace believed in the plan and they believed in their manager. They took everything that City threw at them.

‘That’s what separates Messi and Ronaldo from Haaland’

Erling Haaland is a world class forward, but when we’re talking about Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, there’s no way they’re giving that ball away.

That’s what separates them two players from Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe and these players.

They are selfish and they want to score every game.

When he misses chances I think you can see it gets to him and it does affect him.

Maybe the thought of taking a penalty at Wembley might have been too much for him. You never know, he’s a human being.

Pep Guardiola is facing the media and is very much repeating the answers he gave to TV.

“Ask the referee,” he says on the VAR decision to not send Dean Henderson off.

On the decision for Omar Marmoush to take the penalty instead of Erling Haaland: “They [the players] decided on the pitch.”

City’s players receive runners-up medals

The Man City squad, led by manager Guardiola, is lining up to receive their runners-up medals.

Guardiola’s side have now been beaten in back-to-back FA Cup finals.

This is the first season they have finished without a trophy since Guardiola’s first at the club in 2016-17.

Third time is the charm for Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace played in an FA Cup final twice before this fixture, losing both times to Manchester United, in the 2015-16 and 1989-90 editions.

But today, they tasted victory, thanks to a sensational first-half goal from Eze.

And with that, their long wait for a major trophy also ends.

‘This is what dreams are made of’, says Eze as Palace crowned FA Cup champions

Palace match-winner Eze, speaking to ITV, said: “No words. This is special. This is what dreams are made of for this club. Who would have thought we could do it?

“Tactics were good, but that was all about spirit.”

On the decision to let Henderson avoid a red card: “It is what it is, I don’t care about any of that.”

Photos: More images from the match

It’s party time for Crystal Palace

Eze, whose first-half goal won Palace this FA Cup final, is clicking a photo with a photographer on the sidelines.

The rest of the squad are running towards the Palace end to celebrate with fans, who have flocked in huge numbers for this final.

Many of their supporters are crying tears of joy, waving the red and blue flags to mark this incredible achievement.

“Congratulations, Crystal Palace”, reads the big screen at Wembley, as “Freed from Desire” plays on the loudspeakers.

Glory, finally, for Crystal Palace

Glasner’s side has done it! They have won the South London club its first major trophy.

Crystal Palace players and manager Glasner are exchanging handshakes and hugs, celebrating what will be deemed as the greatest day in their club’s history.

Full time: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

There goes the full-time whistle!

Crystal Palace have won the 2024-25 FA Cup, beating Manchester City 1-0 in the final.

It’s their first-ever major trophy in the 119-year history of the club.

What a moment for the Eagles! Eze’s first-half goal has led them to glory at Wembley.

Doku shoots wide

His low drive rolls wide of the near post.

90+9 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Three minutes to go

City players appealed for a handball inside the penalty area when a volley from Evecherri hit a group of Palace defenders, but VAR quickly underwent a check and confirmed it wasn’t the case.

90+7 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson saves

Palace goalkeeper Henderson parries away a shot from close range by Doku.

Earlier, City substitute Echeverri was booked for his challenge on Eze.

90+5 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

City are poor in the final third

City have registered 19 shots so far, with five on target. Yet they haven’t found the net in 90 minutes and counting.

90+4 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

De Bruyne shoots wide

From outside the box, the Belgian midfielder takes a first touch and shoots using the outside of his right boot. However, the ball bends away, flying wide of the near post.

90+2 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson booked

The Palace keeper is booked for wasting time.

90+1 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Ten minutes added

A lengthy period of additional time. It all comes down to these final minutes.

Can Palace defend their narrow lead against the mighty Man City?

90+1 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Man City make third change

Gundogan replaces Silva.

Meanwhile, Palace fans at Wembley are chanting at the top of their voice, dancing in joy, with some even taking off their shirts in celebration. Only two minutes of normal time pending now.

88 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Munoz comes close!

Munoz whips a cross from the right side, which flashes across the face of the goal. He got the assist for Eze’s opener in the first half.

Meanwhile, Palace bring on Hughes for Wharton for their third substitution.

86 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Yellow cards

De Bruyne and Dias are the latest players to be booked.

85 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson denies Echeverri

De Bruyne slips a pass to substitute Echeverri, who shoots from close range, but Henderson is quick to block it with his hands.

Echeverri tries to shoot on the rebound, but he can’t.

83 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Corner to Man City

Haaland rises high and heads wide a corner kick from Foden.

81 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Crystal Palace are 10 minutes away from a major trophy

Only 10 minutes of normal time remaining in this FA Cup final.

If Palace hold on to their lead, they will lift a major trophy for the first time in their club’s 119-year history and book a place in European football next season.

80 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Mateta off

The Palace forward makes way for Nketiah, as Palace make their second change.

Can Palace hold on to their lead and close out a historic victory? Let’s wait and watch!

78 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Man City make a double change

Guardiola introduces his first set of substitutions, bringing on Echeverri and Foden for Savinho and Marmoush.

76 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

O’Reilly wastes a good chance

O’Reilly wastes a golden goal-scoring opportunity, as he fails to shoot from close range after being set up on the left side of the box with an excellent through ball by De Bruyne. The youngster took a touch too many before shooting, allowing a Palace defender enough time to clear it.

Soon after, Silva goes into the referee’s book for his tackle on Mateta.

75 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Wharton fit to continue

Wharton is going to the sidelines to receive medical treatment. He should be back on in a short while.

74 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Chance for De Bruyne!

Doku finds De Bruyne at the edge of the box, on the left side, as City charge forward.

The Belgian playmaker swings his right foot for a solid strike, but the ball hits the head of Wharton, knocking him down.

72 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Corner to Crystal Palace

Wharton swings the ball from the right corner flag into the six-yard area, where a header is initially cleared away. Soon after, Kamada shoots towards the top corner, but misses the target.

O’Reilly booked

The City defender is shown a yellow card for pulling Munoz’s arm from behind during a challenge. Silly!

67 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Palace make first change

Lerma replaces Guehi, as Palace make their first substitution.

Meanwhile, a scuffle breaks out on the sidelines involving the backroom staff from each team. Not sure what they were angry about.

62 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

GOAL DISALLOWED

Munoz’s goal has been disallowed after it was found that Sarr was offside in the buildup.

Munoz’s initial strike bounced off Sarr’s body before Munoz scored on the rebound.

60 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

GOAL! Munoz puts Crystal Palace 2-0 up!

Crystal Palace have doubled their lead! Can you believe it?

It’s Munoz who gets on the scoresheet, beating the goalkeeper at the near post with a quick tap-in.

58 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Kamada stops Silva from shooting

Doku slips a pass for Silva in the box, but before he can shoot from the left side, Kamada intercepts with a sliding challenge. Great defending from Palace!

City earn a subsequent corner-kick, but Haaland shoots high and wide from it.

56 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson’s new look for the second half

On the other end, Palace’s Henderson is in goal, rocking a blue-coloured cap. Yes, you read that right!

53 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Chance for Eze

Eze tries to volley the ball from close range, but Akanji gets his body in the way. Eze was set up after a throw-in from Richards was headed into his path, about 15 yards out from the goal.

51 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Doku shoots wide

Doku, from the left side of the box, takes one touch before unleashing a right-footed shot, which flies over the net. The Belgian was aiming for the top right corner of the net.

50 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Superb clearance from Richards

Savinho runs up the right flank and crosses the ball in the six-yard area, where Richards comfortably clears the danger with a header, stopping Haaland from heading the ball into the net.

47 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Second half kicks off

We’re back for the second half at Wembley, where Crystal Palace are leading 1-0 against Manchester City in the FA Cup final, thanks to Eze’s first-half strike.

Palace are 45 minutes away from clinching their first-ever major trophy and celebrating their greatest day in the club’s history.

46 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Photos: The managers’ view

Photos: Famous faces for the FA Cup final

Half-time: Crystal Palace 1-0 Manchester City

Crystal Palace players walk off at the break to a huge round of applause from their fans, as they have a 1-0 lead against Man City.

City dominated possession for the whole of the first half, but Eze’s sensational finish from a counter-attack guided Palace to a 1-0 lead.

Guardiola’s side had the chance to equalise shortly before the break when Mitchell gifted them a penalty, but Marmoush missed from the spot, as Henderson pulled off a series of fantastic saves.

Three minutes added

Eze, the goalscorer, goes to the ground following a challenge from De Bruyne.

45+1 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson saves Doku’s terrific attempt

Henderson dives to his left to parry away a shot from Doku, which seemed to be travelling to the top right corner of the net. The ball then drops for De Bruyne, but his effort flies over the bar.

43 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson turns around his fortunes

A few minutes ago, it seemed Henderson would be sent off for his clumsy clearance near the box in an incident involving Haaland.

Now, the Palace keeper has turned out to be their hero with a penalty save in an FA Cup final.

38 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Henderson saves Marmoush’s penalty

Marmoush takes the ball away from Haaland and steps up for the set-piece after VAR undergoes a quick check for the penalty.

The Egyptian forward unleashes a right-footed shot towards the bottom left corner, but Henderson dives and saves.

Haaland tries to play the ball back into the net on the follow-up, but Henderson saves again.

36 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Penalty to Man City

Man City’s Silva goes down in the box following a sliding tackle by Mitchell.

The referee doesn’t take too long to signal to the spot for a penalty.

33 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

No penalty

City players appeal to the referee for a potential handball against Henderson inside the box while he swept away the ball from Haaland, but replays showed the incident was outside the box. No penalty to City.

25 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

We’re half hour in

Doku and O’Reilly try to find their way towards the goal from the left side, but neither can trouble the Palace defence or the goalkeeper.

31 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Scary moment for Palace

Henderson fails to clear the ball in the box and Haaland is played through on goal. The Norwegian pulls it back for Marmoush at the edge of the box, but he fails to shoot.

24 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Almost another for Palace!

Once again, Munoz whips a fantastic squared pass from the right side into the six-yard area where Sarr almost sweeps it home at the near post before Ortega bends low to stop his shot.

21 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

GOAL! Eze sends Crystal Palace 1-0 up

Against the run of play, Crystal Palace take a 1-0 lead against Manchester City.

Eze does the job brilliantly for Palace, drilling a low shot from about 15 yards out following a solid cross from Munoz from the right side.

It was a terrific counterattack from Palace, involving Kamada and Mateta in the build-up.

16 mins: Crystal Palace 1-0 Man City

Chance for Man City

Savinho makes a good run at the back post and tries to head a cross from Silva into the top corner, but Mitchell clears for a corner.

From the set-piece, Akanji’s header flies over the net.

14 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

City dominating

It’s all City at the moment. Palace have largely been in their own half for the opening minutes.

Guardiola’s side have a whopping 89 percent possession. That should tell you everything.

13 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

Corner to Man City

Savinho swings the ball from the right corner flag into the six-yard area where Gvardiol heads it goalwards, but Henderson punches it away with ease.

11 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

Henderson denies Haaland

De Bruyne clips the ball over the Palace defence and finds Haaland at the far post, where the Norwegian pokes it goalwards, but Palace keeper Henderson scrambles to clear it away for a corner.

7 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

City enjoying a good start

Eze intercepts a pass by De Bruyne and tries to start a counterattack, but Akanji quickly recovers.

So far, the ball has been largely with City, who are hovering around the Palace box.

6 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

City get the ball rolling

Akanji finds Savinho on the right wing, and as the latter tries to charge towards the box, a Palace defender closes him down.

City are trying to make use of their right side to prompt an attack.

4 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

Gvardiol down

An early clash of heads between Gvardiol and Mateta leaves the City player on the ground temporarily. The referee has a quick check, and the Croatian is fit to continue.

2 mins: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

KICKOFF!

The referee has blown the whistle and the match is under way at Wembley.

Crystal Palace are wearing red-and-blue stripes, while Man City are dressed in light blue and white.

1 min: Crystal Palace 0-0 Man City

We’re set

After a rendition of the United Kingdom’s national anthem, the players are ready for kickoff. Both teams were greeted by Prince William before it.

FA Cup Final – poll results

Here is who you think will win the final:

• Manchester City – 55.5%
• Crystal Palace – 44.5%

And here is who you think will score first:

• Erling Haaland (MC) – 32.3%
• Kevin De Bruyne (MC) – 13.5%
• Eberechi Eze (CP) – 32.6%
• Jean-Philippe Mateta (CP) – 21.5%

Teams emerge

Both teams have made their way to the centre of the field and are exchanging handshakes before we get ready for kickoff.

If you have just tuned in, last year’s Premier League champions Man City are facing Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, hoping to end an underwhelming season with some silverware.

Should they fail to do so, it would be their first trophy-less season under Guardiola since 2016-17.

Palace, on the other hand, are looking to lift a major trophy for the first time in the club’s 119-year history.

Photos: Man City warm up

Players are in the tunnel

Players of Crystal Palace and Manchester City are making their way out from the tunnel onto the field at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

Man City, playing in their third straight FA Cup final, are aiming for their eighth title in the competition, while Crystal Palace are searching for their first-ever major trophy.

Kickoff is coming up shortly, so stay tuned for the live coverage of Saturday’s exciting clash featuring the two Premier League teams.

Head-to-head

This is the 74th meeting between the two teams in a fixture dating back to 1921.

Palace were 2-0 winners in an FA Cup meeting in the third round that year.

City stormed back in the next meeting between the clubs – once again in the FA Cup – beating Palace 11-4 in February 1926.

Overall, City have claimed the spoils on 39 occasions and the Eagles soaring to victory after 17 of the meetings.

Palace haven’t recorded a win in their last seven encounters with City, who have won four in that time.

A reminder of Crystal Palace’s team sheet

Crystal Palace XI: Henderson; Richards, Lacroix, Guehi; Munoz, Wharton, Kamada, Mitchell; Sarr, Eze; Mateta

Substitutes: Turner, Clyne, Chilwell, Lerma, Ward, Devenny, Hughes, Nketiah, Esse

A reminder of Man City’s team sheet

Man City XI: Ortega; Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, O’Reilly; Silva, De Bruyne; Savinho, Marmoush, Doku; Haaland

Substitutes: Ederson, Khusanov, Nunes, Reis, Echeverri, Gundogan, Gonzalez, Grealish, Foden

Photos: Crystal Palace’s warm-up

Palace’s cup final belief

Palace may be 12th in the Premier League, but have matched their record points tally with two games still to play.

In the FA Cup, they have clicked impressively, winning 3-0 at Fulham in the quarterfinals and then beating Villa by the same margin at Wembley in the semis.

Now, they have one last obstacle to get over and claim the south London club’s first major trophy in its 120-year history.

Palace drew 2-2 with City at Selhurst Park in the league and led 2-0 in the return fixture, only to lose 5-2. They also lost 4-2 last April, a couple of months after Glasner took charge.

Scoring goals against Pep Guardiola’s team has not been a problem, but Glasner knows they will need to adjust defensively to give themselves the best possible chance at Wembley.

“In every single game [against City] we scored two goals, but we just had one draw, because we conceded four, two and five, so we have to make a few adjustments in our defending,” he said. “Because when you concede five, it’s tough to win, but when you score two, you should be able to win.

“So, we have confidence that we will create our chances, we will create our situations to score goals, but we have to do better in defence, and I don’t mean the back three or the back five. So as a team, maybe we have to adjust a few things, and this is what we want to do tomorrow.”

Pep’s praise for Palace

Pep Guardiola has praised Oliver Glasner’s Palace, who knocked out fellow Premier League sides Fulham and Aston Villa to reach the final.

Palace, who are 12th in the league table, are seeking their first major trophy, having fallen in the final in 1990 and 2016, losing to Manchester United on both occasions.

“It is a fantastic team. They have had a really good second part of the season. They have had more than a year with Oliver working with the same players,” Guardiola said.

“They are a threat because they have quality. [Striker Jean-Philippe] Mateta is strong, and the quality in [Eberechi] Eze is obvious and, of course, the pace from [fellow forward Ismaila] Sarr … [Adam] Wharton is a really good holding midfielder.

“They are well structured defensively and their set-pieces are one of the best in the Premier League.”

Focus 90 percent on Palace

The quiet confidence seeping out of Crystal Palace’s training ground before the final against Manchester City was summed up by manager Oliver Glasner on Friday.

“We’re focused on what we want to do at Wembley. We analysed Man City, but 90 percent, we were talking about us,” Glasner, who will become the first Austrian to lead a team in an FA Cup final, told reporters.

“This is what we can influence. We can influence our performance. We can influence what we want to do in and out of possession. And the focus was on our game. We have a lot of confidence and [are] looking forward to the final.”

Photos: The teams’ arrival

Guardiola insists FA Cup important to City

The FA Cup was not Manchester City’s top priority this season, but now that they are in a third straight final, the club will go all out to win the trophy at Wembley, manager Pep Guardiola said.

City have had a “horrific season” in the words of striker Erling Haaland, with Guardiola’s side falling by the wayside in the Premier League title race while they were also eliminated in the Champions League knockout phase playoffs.

City are fourth in the Premier League and yet to secure Champions League qualification for next season – winning the FA Cup when they face Crystal Palace on Saturday may not be enough to salvage their campaign.

“That is the problem, right? The FA Cup now is not the first choice. Of course, we want it. Once we are here, of course, we want the trophy. It is massively important,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“It’s the final of the FA Cup, it’s an honour and a privilege. Third time in a row being there, and we have to perform well. We travel to London to win the title.”

How many FA Cups have City won?

City are seven-time winners of the cup, with their first victory coming in 1904 against Bolton Wanderers.

Their last win was a 2-1 victory against their fierce rivals, Manchester United, in 2023.

Palace make two changes

Palace boss Glasner has made just two changes to the team that started in their 2-0 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur in a league game last weekend.

Midfielders Wharton and Kamada start ahead of Hughes and Lerma.

Wharton is returning to the lineup after recovering from an ankle injury.

What was Palace’s finest FA Cup moment?

Palace’s extraordinary and eventually heartbreaking 1990 campaign was their finest hour in the competition.

The semifinals and final(s) that year were arguably the most dramatic in the competition’s long and storied history and remain the emotional high and low point of every Palace fan who watched them.

Palace were struggling in the top flight after promotion and had been humiliated 9-0 by Liverpool early in the season.

In the Cup, they were hardly pulling up trees either, beating lower league Portsmouth, Huddersfield Town, Rochdale and Cambridge United to reach the semifinals for the first time since they lost to Southampton as a third division team in 1976.

Facing runaway champions-elect and FA Cup holders Liverpool again in the semis looked an insurmountable barrier and an Ian Rush goal had the Reds ahead at halftime at Villa Park.

Things then went crazy as Mark Bright and Gary O’Reilly gave Palace a shock lead. Two goals in two minutes put Liverpool back in front, only for Andy Gray to stun the odds-on favourites in the 88th minute to force extra time.

Amazingly, it was Palace who snatched victory in the 109th minute via Alan Pardew, who would later manage the club.

The cup final itself, against Manchester United, went to a replay after a stunning 3-3 draw in the first encounter.

United won the next match 1-0 with a goal from defender Lee Martin, which handed a young manager by the name of Alex Ferguson his first trophy as boss of the Red Devils.

Photos: Palace fans inside Wembley

Will this be De Bruyne’s dream send-off?

City’s fightback at the Etihad Stadium in the last encounter between the clubs was prompted by Kevin De Bruyne rolling back the years.

The Belgian has just three games left as a City player after a glorious decade in Manchester and will be aiming to add one more to his 14 major honours with the club.

“He has had an incredible time at Manchester City,” said City’s top scorer Erling Haaland.

“It is ridiculous how many trophies he has won. Hopefully, he will get one more trophy.”

Who is Crystal Palace’s key player?

Eberechi Eze is the main man for City to fear with five goals in his last four games.

But he is one of just four England internationals who reached the final of Euro 2024 likely to start for Palace on Saturday alongside Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton.

“It means everything,” said Eze on the prospect of delivering the club’s first taste of silverware.

“We know what it means to the fans, to the club. We’re going to give everything that we’ve got to put ourselves in the best position.

“We’re confident. We know that we’ve just got to do what we do and be the best version of ourselves, and we’ve got the chance of beating any team.”

Why has City’s season been ‘horrendous’?

After an unprecedented four consecutive English top-flight titles, City find themselves battling just to secure a top-five Premier League finish and a place in next season’s Champions League.

Anything other than victory would cap what striker Erling Haaland described as a “horrendous” campaign for a squad of serial winners.

City have not ended a season without a trophy since Guardiola’s first at the club in 2016/17.

“It is a good habit to reach Wembley and always important to win trophies. We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this,” added the Norwegian.

Photos: The view inside Wembley

A look at the benches

Crystal Palace substitutes: Turner, Clyne, Chilwell, Lerma, Ward, Devenny, Hughes, Nketiah, Esse

Man City substitutes: Ederson, Khusanov, Nunes, Reis, Echeverri, Gundogan, Gonzalez, Grealish, Foden

How will Crystal Palace line up?

Palace will play in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with Mateta as their target man.

Sarr and Eze will form the attacking pair, while their four-man midfield will see Munoz and Mitchell on the wings.

The team is also boosted by Wharton’s return to central midfield.

Palace’s three-man defence remains the same as the last game, while Henderson starts in goal.

How will Man City line up?

Man City will play in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Haaland as the lone striker.

An attacking trio of Savinho, Marmoush and Doku will support the Norwegian.

Captain De Bruyne will form the double pivot with the experienced Silva, while the back-four sees O’Reilly slot in at left-back.

Ortega starts in goal, playing in his third consecutive FA Cup final.

Palace make two changes

Palace boss Glasner has made just two changes to the team that started in their 2-0 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur in a league game last weekend.

Midfielders Wharton and Kamada start ahead of Hughes and Lerma.

Wharton is returning to the lineup after recovering from an ankle injury.

Man City make five changes

City manager Guardiola has made five changes to the team that started in their goalless draw with Southampton in a league game last weekend.

Ortega starts in goal ahead of Ederson, while O’Reilly, Savinho, Marmoush and Doku replace Lewis, McAtee, Kovacic and Foden.

Ederson and Foden are on the bench but Lewis, Kovacic and McAtee are absent from the matchday squad.

Photos: The view outside Wembley

Early Crystal Palace team news

Midfielder Adam Wharton has returned to full fitness following an ankle injury.

It means the Eagles have a fully fit squad to choose from.

Early Man City team news

Haaland is expected to start after making his comeback from six weeks out injured at Southampton last weekend.

Rodri continues his slow return to full fitness, but with an eye on the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup in June, the cup final appears to have come too soon for a start.

Pre-match reading: Everton’s goodbye to Goodison

Liverpool, England – “I love it when it gets like this,” exclaimed the man beside me as he rubbed his hands with glee.

It was the Halloween of 2009, and in the gloom of an early winter’s afternoon, Goodison Park was at its best.

Everton were playing Aston Villa in a league match, which was becoming increasingly bad-tempered. Two late red cards, an appalling referee and the floodlights taking full effect. It was the perfect recipe for a big bowl of Goodison fury.

The game finished as an unmemorable 1-1 draw, but the sheer delight of the man in the neighbouring seat long stayed with me. His excitement was a reminder to relish those rare occasions when the entire audience at this glorious theatre of football are united in emotion.

And nowhere does emotion quite like Goodison Park.

Read more: Goodison Park stages final Premier League match

What is Man City’s form?

Man City’s laboured display in drawing a blank at bottom-of-the-table Southampton last weekend gives Palace even more reason to believe they can lift the cup.

However, Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in 10 games, including a 5-2 demolition of Palace in the Premier League last month despite falling 2-0 behind.

What is Crystal Palace’s form?

Palace warmed up for the Wembley showpiece by cruising to a 2-0 win at Tottenham last weekend to equal their record of 49 Premier League points with two games of the season to spare.

The south London club finished in the top 10 for the first time in the Premier League era last season after just a few months under Oliver Glasner.

Another top-half finish looks unlikely, but progress has continued under the Austrian, thanks to their FA Cup heroics.

Why is the FA Cup so important to both finalists?

History beckons for Crystal Palace against a Manchester City side that have one final shot at avoiding a rare trophyless season under Pep Guardiola.

Twice FA Cup runners-up, Palace have never won a major trophy in their 119-year history.

The Eagles sense this may finally be their time up against a City side far from their former glories of Guardiola’s trophy-laden reign.

Victory would also secure entry to one of Europe’s major club competitions for the first time in Palace’s history, with a place in the Europa League at stake.

The famous old cup

Manchester City and Crystal Palace go head-to-head for the FA Cup in a final that has captured the imagination of the world over since its inception in 1871.

English football’s showpiece cup final has been a tale of a team from any level – even non-professional – rising to the top to take down the giants of the game.

The Eagles of South London are no minnows in this particular story, but their opponents are as big as they come in the global game.

For very different reasons, victory in this competition will mean an awful lot to the clubs, who have had contrasting seasons in the English top flight.

We’ll take you through the history of the competition, analyses, and news from both camps ahead of the match.

Welcome to our live coverage

Hello, welcome, and thanks for joining our live coverage of the final of the world’s most famous football competition.

Manchester City and Crystal Palace will compete for the FA Cup – a competition that has long captured the imagination of a global audience.

It’s City’s last hope of silverware this season, while the Eagles will hope to lift the cup for the first time.

I’m Kevin Hand, and I’ll bring you the live build-up as well as the photo coverage of the day.

Manasi Pathak will bring you the team news and our comprehensive text commentary stream.

The Gunners, who knew only a victory would suffice with Liverpool opening a commanding lead at the top of the table after winning at Bournemouth, responded by overpowering the fading champions in emphatic fashion.

Arsenal have played a game more than Liverpool, but this impressive victory at least means they remain within touching distance of Arne Slot’s pace-setters.

City, as they had done against Chelsea eight days previously, gifted their opponents an early lead, this time inside two minutes when defender Manuel Akanji lost possession, Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard then steering in Kai Havertz’s pass.

Arsenal were wondering whether they would regret Havertz’s dreadful first-half miss when Erling Haaland headed City level after 55 minutes, but their lead was restored within two minutes when Thomas Partey’s shot was deflected wide of keeper Stefan Ortega off John Stones.

And the points were made safe after 62 minutes as 18-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly fired home his first goal for Arsenal, Ortega getting a hand to his powerful shot but failing to keep it out.

As City crumbled once more in this season of turmoil, Havertz made up for his earlier miss by steering a precise left-foot finish into the far corner past Ortega with 14 minutes left.

It got even better for Arsenal as 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, picked out superbly by Declan Rice, bent a fabulous shot into the far corner.

Arsenal are playing the role of hunters rather than hunted in this Premier League title race as they try to keep pace with Liverpool’s relentless form at the top.

If there such a thing as a “must-win” game in early February, this was arguably it as Arsenal knew they could not afford to drop points.

Defeat would have left Arsenal nine points behind Liverpool having playing a game more. When they needed someone to step up, it was teenager Lewis-Skelly who settled any lingering nerves.

Having excelled with some powerful surges from defence in the first half, he allowed Arsenal to establish a two-goal cushion with his goal.

Erling Haaland demanded to know “who are you?” when he clashed with the youngster at the end of a fractious 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium in September, when Lewis-Skelly was booked while warming up before coming on as a late substitute.

If Haaland did not know who Lewis-Skelly was then, the Norwegian marksman certainly knows now.

The manner and margin of Arsenal’s win will surely fuel their self-belief as they try to chase down Liverpool.

And the second-half goal rush allowed Havertz to feel both relief and elation after a first-half miss, shooting wide with the goal at his mercy, that started to feel like a defining moment when Haaland levelled matters.

Instead, Emirates Stadium was a scene of raucous celebration at the final whistle as Arsenal’s title bid received a real turbo charge.

Manchester City’s alarming habit of crumbling was on show again. Just as against Paris St-Germain in the Champions League last month, four second-half goals were conceded in an extraordinary collapse.

This was a side who won an historic fourth successive Premier League title last season. Has an elite team’s form ever fallen off a cliff to such an extent?

City had brief hope when Haaland equalised, but their demise was embarrassing once Arsenal quickly restored their lead, manager Pep Guardiola looking nonplussed and powerless in his technical area.

The injury to Rodri in the first meeting between these two clubs in September, which ruled the world-class midfielder out for the season, is understandably cited as a pivotal moment in the season – but it does not explain the sheer scale of City’s capitulation both at home and in European competition.

City were shambolic in the closing half-hour, Arsenal threatening to score every time they went forward, the final whistle a merciful release from the beating being inflicted on them.

They face holders Real Madrid in the Champions League play-offs for place in the last 16. On this evidence, Kylian Mbappe and company will be licking their lips in anticipation.

The 25-year-old has agreed a contract until June 2029, with add-ons rising to £4m.

Marmoush has scored 15 goals in 17 Bundesliga games this season, second only to England captain Harry Kane’s 16 for Bayern Munich.

“Manchester City is one of the biggest clubs in the world over the past 10 years, so it was not a question,” Marmoush said.

“It’s a pleasure and an honour for me and my family to be representing Manchester City. It makes them happy; it makes me happy that my dreams are becoming a reality.

“The last two seasons have been great, but it is just the beginning for me.”

City have also signed 19-year-old Brazilian defender Vitor Reis from Palmeiras for £30m and Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens for £34m in the January transfer window.

Marmoush, who has played as a striker, a number 10 and a winger, said: “On the pitch I am fast, good on the ball, I try to see where the spaces are and exploit the spaces – and I’m dangerous.

“My main strength I would say is that I always want to win – that is from a character point of view.”

City director of football Txiki Begiristain said Marmoush has “outstanding pace and awareness” and that his versatility is a “really valuable asset”.

Marmoush began his career with Wadi Degla in the Egyptian Premier League, before signing for VfL Wolfsburg in 2020.

He had loan spells at FC St Pauli and VfB Stuttgart before his 2023 move to Frankfurt, for whom he scored 37 goals and made 20 assists in 67 games.

Defender Juma Bah told the Spanish club on Tuesday that he intends to terminate his contract, allowing City to sign the player for a much lower fee.

City had sent a request to Valladolid earlier in the day asking to begin negotiations over a permanent deal for the 18-year-old, Valladolid said in a statement.

Bah then did not turn up for training on Wednesday, with the Spanish Football Association confirming he had deposited the necessary amount to terminate his contract.

Valladolid say the teenager’s decision was “supposedly supported and guided by Manchester City and his agent” and has “caused great disappointment and indignation”.

“The club considers that Manchester City is behind the player’s decision, and appears to have advised the player to take this route.”

The 18-year-old joined Valladolid on a season-long loan from AIK Freetong in his native Sierra Leone last summer and the club exercised a clause earlier this month to turn it into a permanent deal.

But Bah is still under a youth contract and has so far refused to sign a senior deal that would significantly increase his release clause.

Valladolid say they will take disciplinary action against Bah and will do whatever they can to “defend” the clubs’s interests.

City lost five games in a row before squandering a three-goal lead from the 75th minute to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The longest winless streak in Guardiola’s coaching career could be extended on Sunday when City plays away to Liverpool, who are in first place in the Premier League and the Champions League.

“I ask for that challenge. I ask for this opportunity to do it. Because I feel it. I know what I want to do. I know what we need. I know what we have to do,” Guardiola said.

For sure, I want to stay here, I want to do it, but the moment I feel I’m not positive for the club, another one will come. But I want the opportunity to try. I don’t want to run away. I want to be there. I want to rebuild the team.

“It’s not normal in the big clubs to have the results we have had, but what we have to do is accept it. ”

Guardiola, who has won the Premier League six times in his eight full seasons with City, as well as the club’s first Champions League title, said he is in regular communication with chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.

“He knows we are going to find a solution,” Guardiola said. “In the circumstances that it doesn’t happen, the club will take the solution, the decision, it has to take.”

The Spanish coach said he deserved to be given time to turn things around. “I have it all on my shoulders. I want it,” he said. “Here at the football club you have to win — if you don’t win, you’ll be in trouble. I know that.

“People said, ‘Oh, why is Pep not in trouble? Why is he not sacked?’ What we have done the last eight years is why we have this margin.”

Guardiola played down talk of a “crisis” at City when asked by a reporter, but was unsure when the team would start winning again.

After Liverpool, City plays seventh-place Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

“We will be back — I know that,” Guardiola said. “I don’t know when, that is the truth.“We have to accept,” he added, “that it is completely normal — maybe the exception was in the past, not what happened now. How we stand up again, this is the big success in life. It’s how many times you stand up, again, and again, and again, whatever happens. They are the greatest [people].”

Liverpool continued their incredible start to life under Arne Slot with a 2-0 win over Real Madrid on Wednesday to move back to the top of the Champions League table.

The Reds are also streaking clear at the top of the Premier League, eight points ahead of City, who are suffering from the loss of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri to a season-ending knee injury.

Slot is confident Guardiola will turn their fortunes around, but is hoping it will not come in time for the top-of-the-table clash.

“One of the reasons why I think Guardiola is the best manager in the world is that he always comes up with solutions for his problems,” Slot said at his pre-match news conference on Thursday.

“His problem now might be that Rodri is out, but we all know, I think, that he will come up with a solution and the run of form will go again. Hopefully, after Sunday.

“I think he was the one who started playing the inverted full-back, then he was the one that started to play the centre-back as a number six. So I don’t think it’s a surprise for anyone if he again comes up with something no one has ever thought about before to make his team even stronger.”

All three previous sides to enjoy at least an eight-point lead after 12 Premier League matches went on to win the title.

Liverpool have won the league just once since 1990 and have missed out twice in recent seasons to City by a single point as Guardiola’s men have racked up six of the last seven titles.

Slot refused to buy into the idea that the defending champions are there for the taking when asked if City’s slump has made Liverpool’s task easier in the title race.

“I don’t think anyone in the last eight or nine years, or maybe even longer, would have said that City, home or away, that the word ‘easy’ ever comes to mind.”

Liverpool’s latest statement win, to defeat Madrid for the first time in nine meetings, came at a cost.

Defenders Conor Bradley and Ibrahima Konate are doubtful for the weekend after suffering injuries late in the game.

“It’s never a good sign if, in Conor’s case, we had to take him off and Ibou couldn’t walk off the pitch as he should after such a fantastic game that he played,” added Slot.

However, the Dutchman confirmed Trent Alexander-Arnold would be fit enough to replace Bradley if necessary.

City could hand a start to defender Ruben Dias, who returned to the bench for Tuesday’s game.

John Stones remains a doubt having missed the Feyenoord match while Mateo Kovacic, Rodri and Oscar Bobb remain absent.

Head-to-headThis is the 197th meeting between the clubs, with Liverpool winning 93 of the encounters and City claiming the spoils on 50 occasions. While the last two matches, both in the Premier League last season, ended in draws, the Reds have not won in the last four, with City winning the two games prior to that. Their last win was at Anfield in October 2022 when Mohamed Salah scored the only goal of the game to mark the third consecutive win for his side against City, and their fifth consecutive unbeaten match between the two sides.