Guardiola on FA Cup final: Man City must be ready for improved Crystal Palace | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City will not underestimate Crystal Palace when the two sides meet in the 144th FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.Guardiola knows they face a dangerous opponent in Oliver Glasner’s side, who have grown in confidence and cohesion under his leadership.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to be here again,” Guardiola said in Friday’s press conference. “To reach a third final in a row is massively important for us. But we know what we’re up against.”

Palace have enjoyed a remarkable run to the final, defeating Aston Villa 3-0 in the semi-final. Guardiola singled out the quality of Palace’s front line as a serious concern.

“[Jean-Philippe] Mateta is strong, [Eberechi] Eze is so obvious with his quality and [Ismaila] Sarr has the pace to punish you,” the Spaniard noted.

“They are well structured defensively and their set pieces are among the best in the Premier League.”

City have already played Palace twice this season, drawing 2-2 in London before securing a 5-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium last month. But Guardiola warned that past results count for little in a final.

“It’s a different game,” he said. “They are a threat. They’ve improved, and Glasner has had more than a year with these players. They know what they’re doing.”

Rodri is recovering well from his injury, and Guardiola confirmed that he will only play if fully cleared.

“He’s much, much better,” he said. “When the doctors say he’s ready, he’ll start. But we don’t want to take risks.”

The FA Cup is Manchester City’s last shot at domestic silverware this season, with their league dominance interrupted and Champions League qualification still in the balance.

With more than 30,000 Palace fans expected at Wembley, Saturday’s clash promises to be a test of nerve, quality and discipline. Guardiola knows City must rise to the occasion.