Roy Keane and Ian Wright fear Crystal Palace face a tall order within the FA Cup final after Manchester City joined them in next month’s showpiece event.
Palace produced an outstanding, all-action display to beat Aston Villa 3-0 in Saturday’s semi-final and reach just the third FA Cup final within the club’s history.
They usually will probably be now be joined next month back at Wembley by City, who saw off the challenge of Nottingham Forest on Sunday to achieve their third final in as a few years.
Academy graduate Rico Lewis gave Pep Guardiola’s side the right start inside two minutes after his thunderous effort found the bottom-left corner from the sting of the box.
And City doubled their lead shortly after the break when Josko Gvardiol headed home from a corner, with the seven-time champions seeing out the sport to affix Oliver Glasner’s side in the ultimate.
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City will probably be hoping to avenge their defeat to arch-rivals Manchester United in last 12 months’s final, and Keane believes that Palace could have an almighty task on their hands against Guardiola’s side.
‘You continue to need to play very well to beat City,’ he told ITV. ‘For all their troubles this season, Palace could have to be at their best possible to beat them.’
Palace last reached the FA Cup final in 2016 where, like City in 2024, they lost to United because of Jesse Lingard’s extra-time winner.
And Wright is hopeful that his former side could have learnt some vital lessons from their 5-2 defeat to City earlier within the month as they appear to win their first major trophy.
‘The issue you’ve gotten playing against City which they saw [in the Premier League] is that even while you’re two-nil up, City will still come at you,’ Wright added.
‘It’s going to return right down to Palace to know that City are going to have lots of possession but punishing them after they have opportunities.
‘Like Roy said, they’re a excellent side and should you don’t do those things, they may put you away.’
Guardiola, nonetheless, was not underestimating the challenge that Palace will present next month as he looks to finish a topsy-turvy season with City on a high note.
‘Just take a take a look at what they did yesterday. We played them just a few weeks ago and were 2-0,’ he told BBC Sport.
‘The pace they’ve up front they usually have a unprecedented manager. They’ve a lot physicality and experience. Hopefully it would be higher than last season in the ultimate against Manchester United.’
‘Champions League is crucial thing, that will limit the damage. This season has not been good.
‘I would like to say thanks to our fans, I know the way difficult it’s to return here with work tomorrow, the wickets and the travel. I can’t thank them enough and hopefully they may join us and see us in the ultimate.’
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