Manager Pep Guardiola said the FA Cup was not the top priority for Manchester City this season, but now they are reaching the final for the third time in a row, and the club will go all out to win the trophy at Wembley.

Manchester City, in the words of striker Erling Haaland, fell a "terror season" in the Premier League title game, and Guardiola's side also fell in the Champions League knockout playoffs.

Manchester City are fourth in the Premier League and have not yet qualified for the Champions League for the next season - when they won the FA Cup when they faced Crystal Palace on Saturday, that may not be enough to save their campaign.

"That's the problem, right? The FA Cup is not the first choice now. Of course, we want it. Once we're here, of course, we want the trophy. It's very important," Guardiola told reporters on Friday.

“It was a disappointment last season (losing to Manchester United in the final). But I’m pretty sure we’ll be doing well and we’ll compete with them.

"It's the final of the FA Cup, it's an honor and privilege. It's the third time in a row, we have to perform well. We head to London to win the championship."

Guardiola also praised Oliver Glasner's palace, who eliminated Premier League teams Fulham and Aston Villa to the finals.

The Palace, ranked 12th at the league table, is seeking their first major trophy, falling in the finals in 1990 and 2016, losing to Manchester United both times.

"It's a great team. They've been great in the second part of the season. They've worked with the same player for over a year with Oliver."

“They are a threat because they have quality.

“They are well-structured on defense and their scene is one of the best matches in the Premier League.”

Palace manager says this is 90% of us

Friday manager Oliver Glasner summed up quiet confidence oozing out of Crystal Palace’s training ground ahead of the final against Manchester City.

"We focus on what we want to do at Wembley. We analyzed Manchester City, but 90% of people are talking about us." Glasner will be the first Austrian to lead the team in the FA Cup final, he told reporters.

"That's what we can influence. We can influence our performance. We can influence what we want to do in the property. And the focus is on our game. We are confident and look forward to the final."

The Palace may be ranked 12th in the Premier League, but matched their record scores, two more games are still in the game.

In the FA Cup, they were impressive, winning 3-0 in the quarterfinals and then defeating Villa by the same advantage in the semifinals.

Now they have the final hurdle to overcome and claim the South London Club’s first major trophy in its 120-year history.

The Palace led 2-2 at Selhurst Park in the league and returned to the game with a 2-0 lead but lost 5-2. They also lost 4-2 after Glasner was in charge last April.

The goal against Guardiola's team wasn't a problem, but Glasner knew they needed to make defensive adjustments to make themselves the best chance at Wembley.

"In every game (versus the city), we scored two goals, but we only had one draw because we admitted four, two and five goals, so we had to make some adjustments to the defense," he said. "Because when you admit five, it's hard to win, but when you score 2, you should be able to win.

“So we have confidence that we will create opportunities, we will create our situation to score goals, but we have to do better with the defense, I’m not saying guard three or the bottom five.

The Palace fans hope to be the third time in the Cup final after losing in 1990 and 2016, he created a wall of sound and color against Villa in the semi-finals and will surely provide them with enthusiastic support again on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Dean Henderson, one of several palace players donating to Villa's huge "Tifo" fundraiser, had raised another 45,000 pounds ahead of Saturday's Wembley showdown.

"The guys against Villa are the top class," Henderson said. "I don't know they will be with over 40 grand grand grand, but I'm glad to see it."