Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola will address the media this afternoon
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola will address the media this afternoon
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola will address the media this afternoon ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
Having already won the Carabao Cup, City can bag their second trophy of the season this weekend. The Blues will be in good spirits after a comfortable 3-0 win over Crystal Palace kept their Premier League hopes alive.
However, Guardiola will be keen to focus on the FA Cup rather than the league. He made several changes to his team on Wednesday in anticipation of this game.
James Trafford, Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland are all expected to return. Phil Foden impressed against Palace so Guardiola has a difficult decision whether to stick with him or not.
City U18 coach Oliver Reiss said it was especially sweet to celebrate with family at the side of the pitch after winning the Youth Cup. City beat United 2-1 at the Joie Stadium to lift the trophy for the second time in three years and will now aim to complete a double next week when they play Chelsea in the league championship match. There was controversy in the build-up to the game over City's decision to play it at their 7,000-capacity stadium that primarily hosts women's and academy matches. The FA state that the final should be played at the main ground but the Blues said they are busy getting the new North Stand ready for the final Premier League game and rejected a request from United to play the game at Old Trafford.
City sections were not sold out at the Joie but it felt like home to the squad after playing previous rounds on the same pitch. And when the final whistle blew, they could all go straight over to their loved ones to celebrate in a way like they have done all season.
The City boss will be speaking at the later time of 2pm this afternoon. Once he arrives, we shall bring you all the updates.
Hello and welcome along to Guardiola's pre-match press conference blog ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup final against Chelsea. City are back at their southern home this weekend looking to secure their second piece of silverware of the campaign. Guardiola has made no secret how much he respects and loves the FA Cup and that was clear with his team selection on Wednesday night.
A number of stars who missed the game against Palace should return to face Chelsea. There will also be a spot for cup goalkeeper Trafford in the starting XI. However, whether Foden starts remains to be seen. The midfielder did well against Palace with his assist for Semenyo catching the eye. He struggled on his last Wembley appearance, but Guardiola could give him another chance.
Stay tuned for updates...