Guardiola declares City season a success ahead of FA Cup final

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has declared the club’s season successful ahead of the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley, regardless of the outcome or the Premier League title race. City, who have already won the League Cup, aim for a domestic double but currently trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by five points. Guardiola plans to field a full-strength team for the final, despite speculation surrounding his contract extension and the potential departure of coaching staff.

Guardiola stated that City are "desperate to perform well" at Wembley, acknowledging the difficulty of the venue after losing the last two FA Cup finals to Crystal Palace and Manchester United. The manager confirmed that Rodri’s fitness for the start of the final remains uncertain, offering only a "we’ll see" response when asked. Guardiola joked about his 24th trip to Wembley with City, expressing disappointment that no stand or lounge has been named after him.

Regarding reports that fitness coach Lorenzo Buenaventura and goalkeeping coach Xabi Mancisidor are set to leave the club, Guardiola initially joked he had extended their contracts by three years before clarifying with a smirk: "Nope". Guardiola has one year remaining on his contract at the Etihad Stadium, with speculation mounting that he may leave after a decade at the club.

City will face Chelsea on Saturday, with their Premier League title hopes effectively resting on beating Bournemouth on Tuesday and hoping Arsenal slip up against Crystal Palace on May 24. Arsenal would guarantee their first English title since 2004 by winning their final league match at Crystal Palace on that date. Manchester City were knocked out of the Champions League last 16 by Real Madrid in March.

The manager insisted the campaign has been positive, noting that while the club started with high expectations in the Premier League and Champions League, they are on the verge of falling short in both. Guardiola emphasized that the fans make an incredible effort to travel to London, stating that the club tries to perform as much as possible to win the prestigious match.