'That is the problem' - Pep Guardiola mourns FA Cup's loss of relevance as he insists final against Crystal Palace is 'definitely important' for Man City after horror season

City are set for their lowest points total in the Premier League in nine years but can win the FA Cup for only the third time under Guardiola. City are in the final for a third year in a row, having beaten Manchester United in 2023 and then lost to them in 2024. The coach admitted that the cup is no longer seen as a priority but he insisted his side still deserve credit for getting to the final for a third year in a row.

Guardiola told a press conference: "That is the problem. The FA Cup now is not the first choice. Not anything is enough. Of course we want it. Now we are here, we want to lift the trophy. We are disappointed for our performances this season but I'm pretty sure we will perform well and compete against them. It's definitely important. You have to be there and you have to win previous games and we have done it many times in years."

The final will be a chance for Kevin De Bruyne to round off his City career before leaving in the summer by lifting a 19th trophy with the club. Guardiola, however, did not reveal whether the Belgian, who played no part in the semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, will be in his starting line-up. City face Bournemouth on Tuesday, a crucial match for their bid to finish in the top five and clinch their place in the Champions League. "I'm thinking just about tomorrow's game," he said. "Winning will help us for the final we have on Tuesday against Bournemouth. I select the team for the way we play."

Guardiola refused to comment on reports that City met Bayer Leverkusen forward Florian Wirtz this week. The forward has been touted as a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne although Bayern Munich are viewed as the favourites to sign him. The coach said: "It's not the time to talk about it before the final of an FA Cup. I have 24 exceptional players, I don't want to talk for one second about the future."

Guardiola was asked if there was an outside chance that Rodri could make his long-awaited comeback from injury in the final. He said: "I'm waiting on the doctors. When they tell me he's ready, he's going to start. We don't want to take a risk and make a setback."