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Manchester City and Crystal Palace are set to face each other in the FA Cup final on Saturday, May 17, at Wembley Stadium.
While a competition final is always an intense affair, the upcoming match is also especially high-stakes for the clubs, as claiming the FA Cup title is the only shot at silverware this season for both.
Man City are having an unflattering run this season, with their focus on winning the FA Cup and a top-five finish in the Premier League to secure a place in the Champions League next campaign.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have the chance to lift their first prominent trophy this century along with earning a spot in the Europa League in the upcoming season.
Ahead of the clash, pundits have shared their predictions for the FA Cup final clash between Manchester City and Crystal Palace.
Chris Sutton's take on Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace
While speaking on BBC Sport, Chris Sutton addressed Man City's form this season and recalled their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace in April.
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Even though the match ended in a 5-2 win for Man City, Crystal Palace initially had a 2-0 lead in the first 21 minutes. Sutton has backed the Eagles for the win while predicting a 3-2 scoreline.
"I just have a feeling this is going to be a classic FA Cup final - I really hope so, anyway. We know Palace can cause City problems from their trip to Etihad Stadium a few weeks ago," he said.
"That will give Palace plenty of confidence, even though City will be favourites and have got lots more experience of a big occasion. So, this will be close. I am going to go with my heart over my head and say that, this time, Palace will win," added Sutton.
Jamie Carragher's take on Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace
While speaking on the podcast and YouTube show, It's Called Soccer, featuring Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, and Rebecca Lowe, the former Liverpool star predicted (comments via Manchester City News) a 2-1 win for Crystal Palace over Man City despite his personal aversion towards the Eagles' victory.
"Maybe my heart is ruling my head, I do want Palace to win, obviously, but I think they’re a good team, difficult to play against. I’m going to go with exactly what Rebecca said, 2-1 to Palace," said Carragher.
Alan Shearer's take on Manchester City vs. Crystal Palace
Alan Shearer expects an entertaining FA Cup final and 'a lot of goals' in the match. He also recalled Manchester City and Crystal Palace's last meeting and mentioned that he would not be surprised if the upcoming match is a similar intense fight as well.
Shearer said (comments via OneFootball) that he would not be surprised by any outcomes of the upcoming clash. However, in the end, he put his confidence in Man City's chances of winning the FA Cup title.
"I'm expecting a lot of goals, because of the way both teams play. It wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't too dissimilar to the league fixture between them at the Etihad," he said.
"It wouldn't surprise me if the game went to extra-time. My only thought is, because of the experience Man City have in situations like this, they should win. It wouldn't surprise me if Palace won, but one thing I do expect is a load of goals from both teams. I will go for the Man City win," concluded Shearer.
Man City have a good record against Crystal Palace, with 33 victories in 66 matches, as opposed to the Eagles' 16 wins. The rest of the 17 games ended in a draw.
Man City have also maintained a good run in the FA Cup with seven titles. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, have been runners-up twice but are yet to lift the trophy.
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