Winning FA Cup massively important: Guardiola

Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola said winning the FA Cup would still be significant for Manchester City, even if victory in Saturday's final will not mask a disappointing season by their own high standards.

City were deposed as Premier League champions by Liverpool for the first time in five years and are facing a first trophy-less season since Guardiola's debut campaign in 2016-17 if they do not beat Crystal Palace in this weekend's showpiece match at Wembley Stadium, London.

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Indeed, Guardiola's men, with two league games remaining, face a fight just to finish in the top five of the Premier League to secure Champions League qualification. But the City manager insisted Friday all of the club's focus was fixed on lifting a trophy in their third consecutive FA Cup final.

"That is the problem, right? The FA Cup now is not the first choice [trophy]," Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference. "[But] once we are here of course we want the trophy. It is massively important," he added.

Meanwhile, Oliver Glasner's side will be aiming to win their first ever FA Cup, having lost to Manchester United in the final twice (1990 and 2016).

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