Pep Guardiola has expressed his determination to see Manchester City deliver a strong performance against Chelsea in Saturday’s FA Cup final.
City are set to become the first club to feature in four straight FA Cup finals, having defeated Manchester United in 2023 before suffering defeats to the Red Devils in 2024 and Crystal Palace in 2025.
After already securing the EFL Cup this season, Manchester City now have the opportunity to complete a domestic cup double.
If achieved, it would mark the sixth occasion an English club has won both major domestic cup competitions in the same campaign, following Arsenal in 1992-93, Liverpool in 2000-01 and 2021-22, Chelsea in 2006-07, and City themselves in 2018-19.
Guardiola has called on his players to step up as he prepares for another appearance at Wembley Stadium.
“I am disappointed they have not made a stand for Pep,” Guardiola joked during his press conference.
“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.
“It is still a special place. Since I’ve been with Barcelona, when I won the first Champions League with my club [as a player] and then against Manchester United, the second time as a manager.
“I have been many times since I have been there. We win, lose, win. It is really good to go to Wembley again. It’s going to be a good game. Top.
“Everything is so nice. The pitch is extraordinary. Hopefully it will be a nice day. We are desperate to perform well.”
This will mark Chelsea’s 17th FA Cup final appearance, placing them behind only Manchester United and Arsenal in the competition’s history.
The Blues have won eight finals and lost eight, including defeats in each of their last three appearances.
Chelsea’s Alejandro Garnacho found the net against City for Manchester United in the 2024 final, becoming the first player to score in an FA Cup final against the same opponent for two different clubs.
The only players to score against the same opponent in two separate finals are Blackburn Rovers’ Jimmy Forrest against Queens Park in 1884 and 1885, and Liverpool’s Ian Rush versus Everton in 1986 and 1989.
“I love this stadium and it’s always a good feeling to go to Wembley,” said Garnacho. “From the start of my career, I have played there every season. I think that is important.
“Playing another FA Cup final and this time winning with Chelsea, a different club, would be special.
“Everyone is excited for the FA Cup and it’s a final that is important. We’ll try to do everything right and hopefully, we can get another trophy.”
This encounter will be the seventh neutral-venue Wembley clash between Chelsea and Manchester City, with only Chelsea versus Manchester United being played there more often.
Since losing the 2020-21 Champions League final to Chelsea, City have remained unbeaten in their last 13 meetings with the Blues across all competitions, recording 10 wins and three draws.
Manchester City have also won 21 of their last 23 FA Cup matches, with their only losses during that run coming in the 2024 and 2025 finals.
Chelsea’s recent Wembley games have been low-scoring, with just seven total goals across their last eight matches at the national stadium.
However, the Blues have scored 21 goals in this season’s FA Cup campaign, matching their second-highest tally in a single season.
According to the Opta supercomputer, Manchester City head into the final as favourites, with a 58.1 per cent chance of victory, while Chelsea have a 20.3 per cent chance and the probability of a draw stands at 21.6 per cent.