Pep Guardiola emphasized the significance of performing well in the upcoming FA Cup final as Manchester City prepares to face Crystal Palace on Saturday. He’s fully aware that the FA Cup is not the club’s main focus this year. Deep down, he wants to win that trophy. City currently sits fourth in the Premier League and remains in pursuit of Champions League qualification for the next season, underscoring the pressures surrounding the club.
Guardiola noted the impressive work of Crystal Palace’s manager, Oliver Glasner, who has been with his players for over a year. He credited the team’s terrific run in the second half of the season. He praised their size and quality while admitting that they now represent the biggest threat. “They are a threat because they have quality,” Guardiola stated, reflecting on the challenge posed by Palace.
City’s priorities are now on the FA Cup. Guardiola then admitted that this has overall been a tough season for his side. He labelled the campaign “horrific,” echoing Erling Haaland’s comments on their showing both in domestic and European action. City faced elimination in the Champions League knockout phase and fell short in the Premier League title race, resulting in increased scrutiny on Guardiola’s management.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s league meeting with Sheffield United, Guardiola provided a further update on Rodri. Rodri has not appeared since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in mid-September of 2022. He stated that Rodri is “much, much better,” but emphasized that they would wait for medical clearance before making any decisions. “When they tell me he is ready, he is going to start. What we don’t want to do is get cute and go out on a limb and go backward.”
Guardiola kept it focused on his own experience. He said it hurt him that they lost to Manchester United in last year’s FA Cup final. He was very much aware that the FA Cup is not City’s main focus at the moment. It remains an elusive goal even as they continue to work toward achieving it. That’s the issue too shaking my head, the FA Cup now isn’t the priority. Of course, we want it. Once we are here though let’s be real, we want the trophy. It is massively important,” he said.
As City prepares for the final, Guardiola reiterated the importance of their performance, stating: “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.”
Leave a Reply