Crystal Palace will take on Man City in the FA Cup final today - but why is the match held early?
This year is the first of a six-year deal during which the FA Cup final will take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season. In the Football Association's updated schedule, the final will be staged on the Saturday, with any planned Premier League fixtures moved to the Sunday.
The FA and Premier League had initially agreed for there to be no fixtures on the Friday before the final to allow focus to be on the build-up to the match. This year, though, Chelsea v Manchester United and Aston Villa v Tottenham will take place then - because of the scheduling of the Women's FA Cup final and Europa League final.
The new schedule allows for all rounds to take place over a weekend, no replays, and third, fourth, fifth and quarter-final weekends exclusive of Premier League fixtures. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham believes it will enhance the competition.
Crystal Palace will take on Man City in the FA Cup final today - but why is the match held early? (Photo: Getty Images)Crystal Palace will take on Man City in the FA Cup final today - but why is the match held early? (Photo: Getty Images)
Crystal Palace will take on Man City in the FA Cup final today - but why is the match held early? (Photo: Getty Images) | Getty Images
"This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the Emirates FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar," he said. It also means that the EFL play-off finals can take place in their traditional slot at Wembley Stadium across the May Bank Holiday weekend.
Read More
The 2025 FA Cup Final is on Saturday May 17 and kick off is at 4.30pm BST. The game will be aired on BBC One and ITV1 – meaning you can choose your preferred pundits.
The game will be stream-able on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. The BBC Sport app and YouTube channel will show highlights after the game, with an Match of the Day FA Cup final special broadcast on BBC One overnight at 12.25am BST. There is a re-run at 8.25am on Sunday morning.
Continue Reading