Guardiola Backs City’s Coupe Cup Run Before Chelsea Final
Manchester City’s season is already a success, Pep Guardiola said, even before Saturday’s coupe cup final against Chelsea at Wembley. City are chasing a second trophy after winning the English League Cup earlier this season, and they can become the sixth team to lift both domestic cups in the same campaign.
Guardiola and Wembley
“Je l’ai dit il y a quelques semaines: cette saison a été vraiment bonne, même très bonne,” Guardiola said of City’s year. He added that the value of the season depends on trophies, but also noted that a team can win and still end up with a very bad campaign.
That leaves City in a sharp place heading into Wembley. They have reached four consecutive FA Cup finals, but they lost the final against Manchester United in 2024 and lost again last year against Crystal Palace.
Chelsea and Cole Palmer
Chelsea arrive with a poor recent record against City. They have gone 13 matches without a win against Guardiola’s side in all competitions, a run that is their worst against any opponent since a 17-match stretch without a win against Arsenal between January 1999 and March 2004.
Cole Palmer could still shape the final. Chelsea interim coach Calum McFarlane defended him when asked about his form, saying, “Je n’ai pas dit qu’il n’était pas à son meilleur niveau. C’est vous qui le suggérez – pas moi,” and, “Je pense qu’il a fait de très bons matches pour nous cette année. Il a dû gérer beaucoup de blessures.”
City’s short turnaround
Guardiola also pointed to the tight schedule before the final. “Je préférerais avoir sept jours, comme Chelsea, mais quand vous allez en finale de la Carabao Cup et que vous gagnez des trophées, vous avez moins de jours,” he said, adding that it has happened before when the club has won titles.
He made the scheduling problem plain: “C’est ce qu’il faut faire. C’est simple. Ce n’est pas le scénario parfait pour préparer une finale, parce que nous ne nous sommes pas entraînés depuis le dernier match contre Crystal Palace.” City played Crystal Palace on Wednesday, while Chelsea have had seven days without a match. Saturday’s final will decide whether Guardiola’s already-successful season ends with another trophy or stays on one domestic cup.
