Roy Keane and Ian Wright make FA Cup final predictions after Man City beat Nottingham Forest
'The problem you have playing against City.'
Roy Keane and Ian Wright fear Crystal Palace face a tall order in the FA Cup final after Manchester City joined them in next month’s showpiece event.
Palace produced a superb, all-action display to beat Aston Villa 3-0 in Saturday’s semi-final and reach just the third FA Cup final in the club’s history.
And they will be now be joined next month back at Wembley by City, who saw off the challenge of Nottingham Forest on Sunday to reach their third final in as many years.
Academy graduate Rico Lewis gave Pep Guardiola’s side the perfect start inside two minutes after his thunderous effort found the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.
And City doubled their lead shortly after the break when Josko Gvardiol headed home from a corner, with the seven-time champions seeing out the game to join Oliver Glasner’s side in the final.
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City will be hoping to avenge their defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United in last year’s final, and Keane believes that Palace will have an almighty task on their hands against Guardiola’s side.
‘You still have to play really well to beat City,’ he told ITV. ‘For all their troubles this season, Palace will have to be at their very best to beat them.’
Palace last reached the FA Cup final in 2016 where, like City in 2024, they lost to United thanks to Jesse Lingard’s extra-time winner.
And Wright is hopeful that his former side will have learnt some vital lessons from their 5-2 defeat to City earlier in the month as they look to win their first major trophy.
‘The problem you have playing against City which they saw [in the Premier League] is that even when you’re two-nil up, City will still come at you,’ Wright added.
‘It’s going to come down to Palace to know that City are going to have a lot of possession but punishing them when they have opportunities.
‘Like Roy said, they are a very good side and if you don’t do those things, they will put you away.’
Guardiola, however, was not underestimating the challenge that Palace will present next month as he looks to end a topsy-turvy season with City on a high note.
‘Just take a look at what they did yesterday. We played them a few weeks ago and were 2-0,’ he told BBC Sport.
‘The pace they have up front and they have an extraordinary manager. They have so much physicality and experience. Hopefully it will be better than last season in the final against Manchester United.’
‘Champions League is the most important thing, that would limit the damage. This season has not been good.
‘I want to say thank you to our fans, I know how difficult it is to come here with work tomorrow, the wickets and the travel. I can’t thank them enough and hopefully they will join us and see us in the final.’
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