Palace face City at WembleyPalace face City at Wembley
Palace face City at Wembley | Getty Images
A look at the pundit predictions for their FA Cup final with Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.
Palace can also secure Europa League qualification by winning this game, capping an impressive campaign that has seen Oliver Glasner and his men secure a mid-table finish and comfortably. As the Eagles bid to secure an FA Cup final upset, we have rounded up the pundit predictions from BBC Sport’s Chris Sutton, SportsKeeda’s Paul Merson and Betfair’s Alan Shearer.
Paul Merson
“City have to win this, they cannot go trophyless after coming this close to winning silverware. If they end up losing the FA Cup final against Palace, that would be the biggest insult to what has been a forgettable season. Can City do it on Saturday at Wembley? I personally think this is a really tough game to call. I expect this cup final to be a really open contest where the result isn't a foregone conclusion!
“If you remember the last game between these two sides in the league, Manchester City secured a 5-2 win. But Palace were 2-0 up in that game and it could have easily been 3-0! If that third goal from Palace wasn't disallowed, that would have been game over for City. I know that City put five past Palace to seal that comeback win, but it became so evident that the Eagles can hurt their opponents. We all know how dangerous Palace can be when the likes of Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta hit the ground running. I've also been very impressed by Daniel Munoz and Marc Guehi in defence. So I expect this final to be a very even contest at Wembley.
“City are also involved in the race to qualify for the Champions League next season and have to face Bournemouth in a league game just days after this final. But I don't think the players will be affected by this tight schedule. Let's not forget that this team was aiming for the quadruple not too long ago! These players know what it takes to play two or three games in a week and I expect them to be fully ready to take on this challenge.
“Now it's time for the million dollar question - who wins the FA Cup? Purely because of their experience, I'm going to go with Manchester City here. Crystal Palace can be proud of their run in the cup, they have been incredible. I don't expect Oliver Glasner's men to go down without a fight either. But I still think City will prevail in the end and taste silverware at Wembley. Prediction: Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester City.”
Chris Sutton
“It hasn't been the season that Manchester City wanted 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. Sutton's prediction: 3-2.”
Alan Shearer
“I'm expecting a lot of goals, because of the way both teams play. It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't too dissimilar to the league fixture between them at the Etihad. There's no doubt that Palace pose a huge threat going forwards and they will take great confidence knowing that first-half against City, they can cause them problems. What they can't afford to do is give away too many chances like they did in the second-half, invite Man City to come and attack their back five, and peg them back. That's going to be a key thing that happens in the game.
“It wouldn't surprise me if the game went to extra-time. My only thought is, because of the experience Man City have in situations like this, they should win. It wouldn't surprise me if Palace won, but one thing I do expect is a load of goals from both teams. I will go for the Man City win.”
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