Pep Guardiola says fixture congestion and player fatigue could affect Manchester City ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup Final clash with Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.
City remain involved in the Premier League title race and trail leaders Arsenal by two points with two matches remaining. Guardiola’s side defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 on Wednesday and will return to league action against AFC Bournemouth just three days after the cup final.
Guardiola said Chelsea’s lighter schedule could provide a significant advantage.
“After the FA Cup, it is Bournemouth, we play every three days. Chelsea have a week at home training, preparing the final,” he said.
“We have to travel to London. They will be at home with their wife and kids. So that is fatigue and fatigue and fatigue.”
The City manager rotated his squad against Palace, leaving players such as Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jérémy Doku on the bench in a bid to preserve energy levels.
He praised the performances of Savinho, Antoine Semenyo and Omar Marmoush, saying he trusted the depth of his squad ahead of the Wembley showdown.
Manchester City are appearing in the FA Cup final for a record fourth consecutive season, although they lost the previous two finals against Crystal Palace in 2025 and Manchester United in 2024.
Guardiola has already won the FA Cup twice during his time at City, in 2019 and 2023. Victory this weekend would deliver his 20th trophy since joining the club in 2016.
The Spaniard’s future at City remains uncertain, with only one year left on his contract and no public indication yet on whether he intends to stay beyond the current season.
Chelsea, meanwhile, head into the final after a turbulent campaign marked by managerial instability and poor league form.
Interim manager Calum McFarlane replaced Liam Rosenior in April following a brief spell in charge. McFarlane had earlier overseen Chelsea on a temporary basis after the departure of Enzo Maresca in January.
The club, owned by BlueCo since taking over from Roman Abramovich in 2022, are without a win in their last seven league games and are close to missing out on qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Chelsea’s last domestic trophy came in 2018, and victory at Wembley would provide some relief after a difficult season.
