The first championship in history is in sight! Crystal Palace fights Manchester City, Eze challenges the downturn.

This Saturday, Crystal Palace will usher in their third FA Cup final in history. Unlike the previous two losses to Manchester United in 1990 and 2016, this time they will face no longer the Red Devils, but "noisy neighbors" Manchester City.

Crystal Palace is chasing history, a club founded in 1861 (the original form of the predecessor of the modern club), located on the south bank of the Thames, has never won any important trophy. Their passionate, loud and colorful fan group, after several generations of waiting, may finally usher in a moment to witness the home team's cup.

The key figure on the offensive end of Crystal Palace is Eberec Eze, who was the Magician who scored twice in the game against Fulham, sent the team to Wembley's semi-finals, and then made the final decision against Aston Villa, paving the way for this showdown with Manchester City.

In the Blue Moon camp, their own dribbling magicians have lost their magic. Since leading the childhood home team to a record four consecutive Premier League titles last season, Phil Foden seems to be in trouble, and now his position in the England national team is in jeopardy.

Rising against the trend

Crystal Palace took some time to find the rhythm this season, and in fact, it was not until the ninth round of the Premier League that they won 1-0 to win their first victory and temporarily escaped from the relegation zone. At that time, the outside world was full of doubts about Glasner's future, fearing that the club would fall into a Roy Hodgson (or at least Hodgson-like) firefighting cycle again.

But since defeating Tottenham last October, Crystal Palace has lost only seven games in all competitions, with only two of them losing to teams outside the top half of the Premier League. They resisted the impact of Michael Olisse's transfer to Bayern Munich and recreated a solid defense line from the backcourt to the frontcourt. Ismaila Sal filled the void left by Olise with his speed of tearing the line, which allowed Eze to control the offensive steering wheel and lead the team's offensive with more sophisticated organizational dispatch.

This performance has been transformed into a stable goal in the past two months. Eze has entered the FA Cup final in a hot state, scoring five goals in the past four games, and has contributed a total of 10 goals since the end of the March International Game Day window.

Eze said last Sunday: "It's a strange season, but I'm gradually getting back to my form. I'm slowly finding the rhythm I want and helping the team the way I do best. Now is the best time. "

English core is just right

For much of this recent Premier League journey, Crystal Palace has mainly relied on experienced veterans to survive. Although there are still several veterans in the locker room, they now have the core English team at their peak.

Eze, who joined the Queen's Park Rangers in 2020, is the most experienced member of this core lineup. A year later, Chelsea central defender Mark Guy (now the captain of the men's team) came to Selhurst Park. The midfield hub between the two is Adam Walton, the core of the organization who joined from Blackburn, has become a new discovery for the team, while former Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson is one of England's most reliable goalkeepers, all four of whom are England's adult team members who played together last summer and ended up second in the European Cup.

From this perspective, Crystal Palace has similarities with Tottenham Hotspur, the young guards of the mid-2000s - at that time, local talents such as Ridley King, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Defort, and Jermaine Jenas emerged. That group of players eventually won the last trophy to date (2008 League Cup) for Tottenham and entered the Champions League two years later. For Crystal Palace, this path may be challenging, but it is not unattainable today when the "six giants" of the Premier League collapsed - especially if they can win the FA Cup and qualify for the Europa League next season.

Position competition

When Eze is struggling to make his way to Thomas Tuchel's 2026 World Cup England roster (he even scored his first goal in a 3-0 victory against Latvia in March), one player's pick is falling sharply - Phil Foden.

Fourden is experiencing a serious trough in his career. After his poor personal performance in the European Cup, his pre-season preparations were shortened due to injuries and illness. By the time he fully recovered, Manchester City had already withdrawn from the league championship, and Foden made almost nothing to prevent the team from falling overall.

In four games in January this year, Foden scored six goals, helping Manchester City score 10 of 12 points. It seems that the state explosion period is about to begin, but since then, he has not scored or assisted again, and has gradually become a shadow of himself. After Manchester City drew 0-0 with deputy squad leader Southampton, Guardiola commented on Forden: "It's not easy. Of course, a game that breaks the deadlock like Forden last season requires his talent - shooting, assists, intuition in the penalty area in a small space. "

The fall from the best player in the league to the most influential player will surely bring consequences. Tuchel's two dull performances after coaching England in March will not help enhance Forden's position in the heart of the new Three Lions coach. And Eze's reputation is growing day by day, and he may add another heavy blow to the position competitor on Saturday. The timing of this showdown at the National Stadium is the best.

decisive battle moment?

When asked whether winning the FA Cup and ensuring qualifying for the Champions League can save Manchester City this season, Guardiola sternly retorted: "No. This season is not good enough, we are one thousand points behind Liverpool (note: exaggerated statement). Look at the Champions League, how many games have we won? Two games? Not good enough, the club must make the right decision (this summer) for better next season. "

Perhaps this is the best opportunity for Foden to rekindle his inner flames, and also provides a perfect footnote for Manchester City throughout the season. Although winning the championship at Wembley cannot make up for all regrets, it can at least inject the Blue Moon with the necessary motivation to enter the Club World Cup and next season. As Manchester City and Wilz negotiate a transfer of 150 million euros, Foden should also be wary of his possible loss of the team's chief creator position.

Except January For those four highlights, Foden only contributed two goals in the Premier League throughout the season - the same as his total contribution to the FA Cup journey (although he did score or assist in the four Champions League games), the data confirms his performance on the field, and he urgently needs a moment to awaken the world's memory of his true level.

Create the legend

When Foden struggled at the lowest point in his career so far, Eze was writing The best time for legend - from the modern Premier League darling passed down on the streets to an undisputed club legend.

's contributions in the FA Cup final will greatly enhance Eze's historical status. Although he is often on the verge of starting in England, as Foden, Palmer and others are in a sluggish state under pressure, can he join the core discussion? Will Tuchel regard him as Mount during the Chelsea period? Looking at the lineup of the two teams, no player is better than the 26-year-old midfielder More hot, so the prospect of getting a starting position under Tuchel is gradually emerging. Unlike Foden, who has been sluggish in recent times, Eze has always been threatening and risky - after scoring a wonderful long shot against Villa, he said: "I am always trying to create opportunities."

The former darling Wilfrid Zaha - widely regarded by Crystal Palace fans as the best player in the club's history - has an exclusive wall outside the Selhurst Park stadium Painting, maybe if Eze and his teammates can bring back the FA Cup, they will also receive the honor of erecting statues.

New Zaha or the next Wright?

Before Eze's season even reached its peak, a sub-plot of undercurrents has emerged - what will happen next, and although he has been associated with rumors of leaving the Crystal Palace over the past few years, he has never really gotten close to being away from Team. After such a brilliant year, the club phone may soon ring, and Eze may be flooded by overwhelming invitations to end his career as a "big fish in a small pond".

Before this intersection, there are two seniors' trajectories for reference. First, former teammate Zaha, who ensured that his golden years remained in South London by constantly signing generous contracts with Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace relies on its own negotiation advantages Always rejected the offer from other teams. Although Zaha has tried the possibility of leaving the team many times, fans have never felt a grudge against him. In their hearts, Zaha has been and will always be a highly respected existence.

On the other hand, Ian Wright, the third scorer in the history of Crystal Palace, moved to Arsenal at the age of 28 after only a year after shining in the 1990 FA Cup final (lost to Manchester United after a rematch). Although In this way, he is still remembered by the two clubs as a legend, even though he only had a few years left in his peak when he joined the Gunners.

Now Eze is another hero facing a similar choice in Crystal Palace, and his existing contract is two years left. Selhurst Park fans will undoubtedly cherish his memory forever, but now the question is: in what form will this memory exist - as an unquestionable eternal legend, or as another identity?