City battle fatigue ahead of FA Cup final clash with Chelsea

Pep Guardiola hopes Manchester City can overcome mounting fatigue in Saturday’s FA Cup final as Chelsea aim to salvage a turbulent season by ending their domestic trophy drought.

Guardiola’s side are embroiled in a last-ditch bid to catch Premier League leaders Arsenal, but their slender title hopes will be on hold this weekend as they head to Wembley in search of a cup double.

City, who beat Arsenal in the League Cup final in March, had to play Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Wednesday and they will be back in top-flight action just three days after facing Chelsea when they head to Bournemouth.

Although Guardiola made six changes for a 3-0 win against Palace that left them two points behind Arsenal with two games left, the City boss is concerned his team’s gruelling fixture schedule could hand Chelsea an advantage in the final.

“After the FA Cup, it is Bournemouth, we play every three days. Chelsea have a week at home training, preparing the final,” he said.

“We have to travel to London. They will be at home with their wife and kids. So that is fatigue and fatigue and fatigue.”

Guardiola tried to alleviate the physical toll by starting with Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku on the bench against Palace.

“I have full confidence in all the squad, including the ones that didn’t play against Palace. They are so good,” Guardiola said

“I thought we needed more energy. Savinho, Antoine (Semenyo) and Omar (Marmoush) were really good. Now we rest and focus on the final.”

City are appearing in the FA Cup final for a record fourth successive season, but they lost the last two, against Crystal Palace in 2025 and Manchester United two years ago.

Guardiola insisted City have had a successful season whether or not they win the Premier League title or FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Guardiola is adamant the campaign has been positive, no matter what happens at Wembley or in the title race. Guardiola has won the FA Cup twice, in 2019 and 2023, and a third triumph in the competition would seal his 20th trophy since arriving at City a decade ago.

Uncertainty has swirled around Guardiola’s future all season and, with just one year left on his contract, he is yet to give an indication if he plans to stay or go at the end of this term.

For now, the 55-year-old is looking forward to one more trip to Wembley.

“It is a pleasure to go to the cathedral of English football to play the final,” he said.

“Hopefully the result will be better than the last two times.”

Ahead of his 24th trip to Wembley with City, Guardiola joked that he is “so disappointed” he has not had a stand named after him at the home of English football.

“So many times I have been there, at least a lounge or a box or something like that. Maybe I have to go 24 more times!” he said.

Guardiola’s glittering array of trophies and vast experience are a stark contrast to Chelsea’s novice interim boss Calum McFarlane.

McFarlane took over following Liam Rosenior’s sacking in April after just 106 days in charge.

The former Chelsea under-21 coach finds himself in the extraordinary position of leading the Blues in the FA Cup final with no realistic prospect of landing the job on a full-time basis.

It is the second time McFarlane has been in interim charge this season.

After Enzo Maresca’s exit in January, he damaged City’s title challenge in a 1-1 draw at the Etihad.

The managerial turnover at Chelsea is emblematic of the troubled club’s chaotic period since owners BlueCo took over from Roman Abramovich in 2022.

McFarlane backs Chelsea to overcome Wembley hoodoo: Chelsea caretaker manager McFarlane dismissed speculation regarding his permanent successor on Thursday, insisting his sole focus remains on ending the club’s domestic trophy drought in FA Cup final against City.

Chelsea have also failed to beat Guardiola’s side in their last 13 meetings in all competitions.

Despite English media reports linking Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso and other high-profile candidates to the Stamford Bridge vacancy, McFarlane told reporters he was only interested in guiding Chelsea to victory at Wembley.

“There’s a lot of names linked with the job,” McFarlane said. “It’s not really my place to say who should get it, or who’s a good manager. My job is to prepare the team for Saturday and that’s all I’ll be focusing on.”

Agencies