Manchester City and Crystal Palace will lock horns in the FA Cup final this Saturday, with both sides desperate to get their hands on the trophy.
Manchester City have endured a below-par season by their usual stratospheric standards and the FA Cup is now their last remaining hope of silverware.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace will want to lift their first ever major trophy in only their third ever appearance in the final of a major cup competition.
Chris Sutton has now made his prediction for the FA Cup final, and what he said will not go down well with City fans.
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images
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Chris Sutton explains why he backs Crystal Palace to beat Manchester City
Sutton said he feels – and hopes – it will be a classic FA Cup final, but he gave a warning to Pep Guardiola.
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He said Palace will be buoyed by how they performed early on in their 5-2 loss, when they went 2-0 up at the Etihad Stadium.
Sutton then finished by saying he’d make his prediction with his heart instead of his head, and tipped Palace to win 3-2.
“It hasn’t been the season that Manchester City wanted,” Sutton wrote on BBC Sport.
“But their bid for a top-five finish is still in their own hands, despite their slip-up against Southampton last week, and they will see it as being important that they end up with a trophy.
“Most clubs would be absolutely delighted with that, including Palace, but for Pep Guardiola and for City, it won’t be good enough.
“I just have a feeling this is going to be a classic FA Cup final – I really hope so, anyway.
“We know Palace can cause City problems from their trip to Etihad Stadium a few weeks ago.
“City won 5-2 in the end but I don’t think that scoreline really reflects what a close contest it was.
“Palace went 2-0 up and only a marginal offside call stopped them from leading 3-0 before Pep’s side fought back.
“That will give Palace plenty of confidence, even though City will be favourites and have got lots more experience of a big occasion.
“So, this will be close. I am going to go with my heart over my head and say that, this time, Palace will win.”
Man City will be eager to let a lot of people down on Saturday
It’s clear that most neutrals will want the underdog to win the FA Cup.
Indeed, Sutton himself admitted earlier on in the article that he “would love nothing more than for Palace to win it.
“I’ve got nothing against City, but Palace have never won anything and winning the FA Cup would be huge for their fans.”
Well, best of luck to them, but City will only aim to please their fans by delivering them a trophy, so if that means letting a lot of people down, so be it.
Manchester City News has predicted City’s starting XI for the FA Cup final.