The measure of Manchester City’s class is that they have a chance of claiming the FA Cup in Saturday’s Wembley showpiece despite a troubled campaign featuringserial injury, an insipid title defence, Champions Leagueplayoff stage elimination by Real Madridand the mid-season departure of the captain, Kyle Walker, on loan.
Oliver Glasner’sin-form Crystal Palace, who have lost two of their past 14 games, are in their way but Pep Guardiola’s garlanded team are favourites, the wounded deposed champions intent on not ending empty-handed for the first time since the Catalan’s opening 2016-17 term.
Rúben Dias says: “It feels great. It’s a massive [chance], even more after the season we’ve had, to be in this final stage and have the opportunity to lift the trophy. We know how good it feels to win theFA Cupand we know what it means to everyone so it’s a big one for us.”
The defender points to City’s pedigree of glittering success under Guardiola. “It’s our third final in a row so that is already quite a big achievement,” says Dias. “It’s a competition that means a lot to us. We’ve been defined by the Premier Leagues but I feel we’ve been defined by all of it: all the things we’ve got our hands on; for the way we played.”
City lost 2-1 to Manchester United in last season’s final but beating Palace would make ittwo Cups in three yearsand three in total for Guardiola, who has dominated English football over the past nine seasons.
Dias, John Stones, Nathan Aké, Manuel Akanji, Oscar Bobb, Jack Grealish, Ederson, Jérémy Doku, Mateo Kovacic, Walker, Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri are on the long list of those whose injuries hobbled the cause this season. Rodri, who sustained a campaign-ending anterior cruciate ligament damage in September’s draw with Arsenal, was the greatest loss.
Of Guardiola’s key holding midfielder, Dias says: “He’s obviously frustrated and wants to be back but hopefully we’ll have him as soon as possible feeling comfortable and confident. He’s got his timings [to return]. They’re [the medical department] doing great work with him to try and manage the best way possible. It’s not an easy injury to come back from.”
In saying the Premier League has defined City, Dias points to the club’s six titles under Guardiola. “We’ve won the last four in a row and that was never done before,” he says. “We are in a tough fight to qualify for the top five, we can still be second and have this FA Cup to fight for.”
City’s mid-season dip, which started with the2-1 Carabao Cup loss to Tottenhamon 30 October and featured only one victory in 13 games, killed their title defence aspirations and was the augury of the Champions League elimination by Madrid.
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Dias is frank regarding City’s loss of their usual excellence. “It was definitely the consequence of many things,” he says. “One of them was the fact we won four Premier Leagues in a row and nobody has ever done that. Maybe this is the cost – the effort and mental discipline that is essential for the game we play.
“You also have to acknowledge that some players then were dealing with loads of injuries around them and had to play parts in which they were not even [familiar] to certain positions. They gave tremendous effort and we all as City fans and everyone at the club should be grateful for those efforts.
“They were obviously troubled times for many reasons but you shouldn’t doubt each other because of a bad wave. That shows a weak house and we are a strong house. If anyone doubts, maybe they should learn a lesson for the future.”
Here he references Nico O’Reilly and Matheus Nunes, who are midfielders but have operated at left- and right-back, respectively, owing to injuries and Walker’s departure for Milan.
Saturday’s final may be as close as the two league encounters, which featured City drawing 2-2 at Palace in December and going 2-0 behind in April’s returnbefore winning 5-2. Guardiola’s men are back in form, winning seven and drawing three in their past 10 outings. But Dias brushes this off.
“Things are going better now but it’s part of the process,” he says. “When you’re doing great or when you’re not doing so great, I feel like the only time to look back is when the season is done – and the season is not done yet. There’s still a lot to fight for and a lot to accomplish.”