MANCHESTER, England (AP) — As “horrific” seasons go, Manchester City's could still end on a high note.
While English soccer's most dominant force for the past decade has been dispossessed of the Premier League crown, City's campaign could finish with the FA Cup and the title of world champion.
City plays Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday looking for some shine on a season that spectacularly unraveled late last year.
“This season has been tough,” striker Erling Haaland told the BBC. "It is not nice to lose so many games, it is boring and not fun. That’s why we need to finish well and get a trophy.
"We have the FA Cup final to play for and in a horrific season we still managed to do this and that says it all.”
City's form has been so bad by its own remarkably high standards that Champions League qualification is still not certain with two rounds to go. But second place in the standings is still up for grabs, and the expanded Club World Cup kicks off in the United States next month and provides another opportunity for major silverware.
But the club that won six of the previous seven Premier League titles — including an unprecedented four in a row and the Champions League as part of a trophy treble in 2023 — is not in the mood to celebrate.
Manager Pep Guardiola said recently neither he nor his players deserve a bonus even if they win the Club World Cup, which has a prize pot of $125 million for the champion. He also suggested no trophy would salvage the campaign after the manner in which his team surrendered the Premier League title, sitting 18 points adrift of champion Liverpool.
City is in its third FA Cup final in a row.
It is Palace's third FA Cup final ever. It lost to Manchester United in the previous two- in 1990 and 2016.
So while the cup would be only a consolation prize for City, for Palace it would mean everything as the London club's first major trophy.
“Everybody needs to win this final,” Palace forward Ismaila Sarr said. "I’m working hard every day. I know it’s not easy but in my mind we’re going to win this final. Yeah, Palace have never won this cup but maybe this is the first time.”
The teams last played last month, when Palace led 2-0 at City but lost 5-2. Their previous match in December ended 2-2.
“They are a team that can cause problems, so we have to be prepared and focus on ourselves,” City midfielder Mateo Kovacic said.
“At this club, you take it (success) for granted because we have been on top for so many years consistently. This season, although it’s not been good, we can end it in a positive way which could give us a big push for the Club World Cup.”
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
James Robson, The Associated Press
