FA Cup final

As the football season finally draws to a close, the month of May brings us arguably the nation’s favourite sporting day. The 2025 FA Cup final, sponsored by Emirates, will be contested between Manchester City and Crystal Palace at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 17 May. All the pre-match build-up and live coverage will be aired on both BBC and ITV.

Most football fans will have fond childhood memories of FA Cup final day, from watching the team coaches arrive at Wembley – to watching the players walking around the pitch in their often-questionable Cup final suits! It often didn’t seem to matter if your team was involved or not, as the occasion of Cup final day itself was enough to bring friends and family into the living room to watch the biggest game of the season. Depending on your age, everyone would seem to have a favourite Cup final – I wonder what was yours? Here are a few absolute classics to jog your memory.

1973 Leeds 0-1 Sunderland 

1979 Arsenal 3-2 Man Utd 

1981 Tottenham 3-2 Man City

1987 Tottenham 2-3 Coventry City

1988 Liverpool 0-1 Wimbledon

1989 Everton 2-3 Liverpool 

1990 Crystal Palace 3-3 Man Utd

2006 Liverpool 3–3 West Ham 

2013 Man City 0-1 Wigan 

Preview of the 2025 finalists

Manchester City: Few could have predicted such a disappointing season for the blue half of Manchester, but perhaps the writing was on the wall in September when they were knocked out of the EFL Cup at the 3rd round stage by eventual winners Newcastle. Their stuttering league form has left them 20 points adrift of champions-in-waiting Liverpool and battling for a place in the Champions League. 

Pep Guardiola’s side were also knocked out of the Champions League in February by Real Madrid. Guardiola himself has shouldered the blame for this and made it clear that the responsibility lies at his feet. However, the loss to injury of midfield general Ballon d’Or winner Rodri and lack of form shown by a host of key players such as Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker, who joined AC Milan in January, has undoubtedly been significant. 

Winning the FA Cup would therefore not only be the highlight of a disastrous season but also provide the club with automatic qualification for next season’s Champions League. Their route to the final has seen them defeat Salford, Leyton Orient, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, in what was their record seventh consecutive FA Cup semi-final.

Crystal Palace: The Eagles got off to a relatively slow start in the Premier League this season, making fans wait until their ninth game for their first win in late October – against Spurs. However, in the cup competitions it has been a different story, with Austrian Oliver Glasner’s side reaching the quarter-final of the EFL Cup only to find Arsenal – and in particular Gabriel Jesus (hat-trick) – too good at the Emirates in December.

Since taking charge in February 2024, Glasner has transformed the team’s playing style at Selhurst Park. A once-defensive team under Roy Hodgson now boasts one of the most dynamic counter-attacking sides in the country, and on their day they can be a match for anyone. Packed with explosive pace, this enables them to turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye. Captain and central defender Marc Guehi is a superb organiser, whilst fellow England teammates Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton are the creative force in midfield. Up front, 6ft4 Frenchman Jean-Philippe Mateta is a real handful for any defender with his natural pace and power.

Palace have never won a major trophy, although they did come close in the classic 1990 final where a young Ian Wright came off the bench to score twice against Manchester Utd only to eventually lose 1-0 in the replay. They were also runners-up in 2016, where Manchester Utd again spoilt the party in extra time. Could it be third time lucky for the Eagles to soar to victory this year?

Adobe Women’s FA Cup final

The women take centre stage on Sunday 18 May – live on BBC TV. This year’s women’s final features Women’s Super League leaders Chelsea taking on the current Cup holders Manchester United at Wembley. 

In Scotland

On Saturday 24 May, current Premiership champions Celtic will be looking to secure a 43rd Scottish Cup trophy against Aberdeen, who are looking for their eighth. Then on Sunday 25 May, in the Women’s Scottish Cup final, Rangers will play Glasgow City.

Sports Bites

Champions League

In Europe’s premier club football competition, the second legs of the semi-finals will be played on 6 May (Inter Milan v five-times winners Barcelona) and 7 May (Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal). The final is scheduled for 31 May at the Munich football arena. The final of the Women’s Champions League, Arsenal v Barcelona, will be played on 24 May at Estádio José Alvalade in Lisbon.  

Ice Hockey

Across the pond on the ice, the NHL (National Hockey League) playoff matches for the prestigious Stanley Cup are underway. Facing off from the Eastern Conference are the Washington Capitals; Carolina Hurricanes; New Jersey Devils; Toronto Maple Leafs; Tampa Bay Lightning; Florida Panthers; Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens. From the West are the Winnipeg Jets; Dallas Stars; Colorado Avalanche; Vegas Golden Knights; Los Angeles Kings; Edmonton Oilers; Minnesota Wild; and St Louis Blues.

The Great Debate: Should the England manager be English?

German Thomas Tuchel recently took charge of his first World Cup qualifying matches as England manager, against Albania and Latvia. This controversial appointment by the Football Association has split opinions amongst England fans.

YES, SHOULD BE ENGLISH

• If the players must be English to compete for England, doesn’t it make sense that managers should also be? It’s called a ‘national team’, and if an international competition is not nation against nation, then what’s the point?

• It is key to developing new coaches from each nation. The prospect of taking the most prestigious position in their sport is an incentive for younger coaches coming through the football pyramid.

• Representing your country, or supporting your compatriots to compete against other countries, whether in football, the Olympics, or even the Eurovision song contest, provides a sense of pride and identity, bringing communities together.

NO, DOESN’T MATTER

• The main criteria for appointment should be coaching experience and expertise, particularly for developing countries, e.g. in football for African and Asian countries that need these qualities to raise their standard.

• How far along the chain do we go? If players and maybe the manager should be of the same nationality, what about the assistant manager? Physiotherapist? Kit men? Coach drivers? Tea-lady? Should the whole FA be English? 

• We live in a diverse world and country. Tournaments such as the World Cup get an extra twist when managers come up against their home nation. There are plenty of Brazilian- and African-born players playing for different nations.