- FA Cup final takes place this Saturday
- Pep Guardiola’s focus undivided
- No consideration for Premier League
Manchester City got the job done against Crystal Palace in midweek, and now Pep Guardiola’s sole focus is on the FA Cup final.
The Premier League is the domestic competition every team wants to win the most, and Pep Guardiola has done so six times.
Man City are not the favourites this season, with Arsenal top of the table. However the teams are only separated by two points.
Tuesday is a very important night for City, as they require three points against Bournemouth to remain in the title race. However, the FA Cup final comes first.
Pep Guardiola only has Wembley in his sights
Winning the Premier League would be Man City’s biggest achievement of the season, provided they are able to make this a reality.
However, the club’s success in the top flight will be determined by Arsenal’s results. Whereas City are in charge of their own destiny in the FA Cup.
The Sky Blues will do battle with Chelsea on Saturday, and Guardiola has insisted that this is the only thing on his mind.
When asked in his pre-match press conference as to how much he was thinking about Bournemouth, Guardiola replied: “Zero. It is the final of the FA Cup.”
Prioritising the FA Cup is a common sense decision
If Arsenal drop points in either of their final two Premier League matches, that opens up a massive opportunity for City to pounce on.
But the Gunners are up against relegated Burnley, before playing a Crystal Palace team who will be more interested in the Conference League final a few days later.
Winning the FA Cup is a far more likely scenario, so Guardiola needs to pull out all the stops to ensure his team are successful after cup final defeats in two consecutive years.
Guardiola’s FA Cup decision was obvious on Wednesday
It was clear from Man City’s starting lineup against Crystal Palace that Guardiola cares a lot about winning the FA Cup.
Neither Erling Haaland nor Jeremy Doku started that game, as they were clearly rested for the match against Chelsea.
The Citizens manager knows how big it would be to pull off a domestic double, and he is putting his money where his mouth is.
There has been no neglect shown towards the Premier League. After all, City battered Palace 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.
Yet ultimately, this competition will be completely out of sight until Sunday. Up to that point, everything is about Saturday afternoon.
