Crystal Palace Go For Glory As Manchester City Seek Salvation In FA Cup Final

History beckons for Crystal Palace at Wembley in Saturday's FA Cup final as Manchester City have one final shot at avoiding a rare trophyless season under Pep Guardiola. Twice FA Cup runners-up, Palace have never won a major trophy in their 119-year history. The Eagles sense this may finally be their time up against a City side far from their former glories of Guardiola's trophy-laden reign. Palace warmed up for the Wembley showpiece by cruising to a 2-0 win at Tottenham last weekend to equal their record of 49 Premier League points with two games of the season to spare.

The south London club finished in the top 10 for the first time in the Premier League era last season after just a few months under Oliver Glasner.

Another top half finish looks unlikely, but progress has continued under the Austrian thanks to their FA Cup heroics, including a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Champions League quarter-finalists Aston Villa in the last four.

Eberechi Eze is the main man for City to fear with five goals in his last four games.

But he is one of just four England internationals that reached the final of Euro 2024 likely to start for Palace on Saturday alongside Dean Henderson, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton.

"It means everything," said Eze on the prospect of delivering the club's first taste of silverware.

"We know what it means to the fans, to the club. We're going to give everything that we've got to put ourselves in the best position. 

"We're confident. We know that we've just got to do what we do and be the best version of ourselves and we've got the chance of beating any team."

Victory would also secure entry to one of Europe's major club competitions for the first time in Palace's history with a place in the Europa League at