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Pep Guardiola has encouraged his Manchester City players to channel the disappointment from their unexpected FA Cup final loss into motivation to rescue their challenging season by qualifying for the Champions League.
Guardiola's team will end the season without a major trophy for the first time in eight years following a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace at Wembley on Saturday.
Eberechi Eze’s goal in the 16th minute and Dean Henderson’s penalty save from Omar Marmoush just before halftime led to yet another setback in City's troubled season.
Henderson made numerous excellent saves to thwart City, who argued that the goalkeeper should have been dismissed for handling the ball outside of his area in the first half.
City's inability to finish was highlighted by Palace's strategically smart game plan, leaving Guardiola to contemplate the aftermath of a disappointing campaign that has seen his team lose the Premier League title to Liverpool and exit from the Champions League.
The Spaniard maintains that City still has a chance to redeem themselves by finishing in the top five of the Premier League, which would secure them a spot in the Champions League for the next season. They currently sit sixth in the standings, just one point behind the top five, with a home match against Bournemouth on Tuesday and a final game against Fulham on May 25.
“We had identified the issues we faced with scoring and conceding in the last month. We were quite stable recently,” Guardiola stated. “However, against Palace and Southampton, we struggled to create opportunities. I’m not saying it’s simple; we need good crosses and players in the box. The game plan didn’t work because we didn’t win. But I have no negative feelings about it. We are disappointed because we missed out on a prestigious tournament."
“Now we need to push forward and recover quickly for the last two matches that will determine our Champions League qualification.”
It was City’s second consecutive FA Cup final loss, having lost to their rivals Manchester United in last year’s final. Notably, City striker Erling Haaland's choice to let Marmoush take the penalty reflects his current lack of confidence. Haaland has not scored in any of his six appearances at Wembley, which includes three FA Cup finals and one semi-final.
The former Borussia Dortmund player, who has netted 30 goals in 42 matches this season, also did not score in City’s Champions League final victory over Inter Milan or their UEFA Super Cup win against Sevilla.
Against a Palace side determined to defend and frustrate City, Haaland had limited opportunities to score. Guardiola must find ways to enhance the service to his star striker if City hopes to secure a top-five finish.
At Wembley, City frequently relied on Kevin De Bruyne to unlock Palace's organized defense. However, in what would be his final match for City before departing in the off-season, the Belgian’s inconsistent performance highlighted why Guardiola is prepared to let him go as injuries and age begin to affect him.
“I expect, once again, to have Kevin in that position to provide some deliveries. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find him in the spots we needed,” he expressed. Guardiola is holding on to the hope that City can make a final effort, asserting: “We performed much better than when we defeated Palace 5-2 in April. We were superior to last season when we lost to United in the final. Today, we did everything. We had possession to create chances; we could have created more, but it’s not simple, as I’ve said, when facing 11 players in defense.”
