FA Cup losers Manchester City make a swift return to action after their devastating day at Wembley knowing they still have work to do to prevent a terrible campaign from turning into an absolute nightmare.
In effect, Pep Guardiola’s side have a semi-final and final to play as they chase a spot in the top five and grab a golden ticket to the Champions League.
A nervy five days starts at the Ethidad Stadium with the visit of Bournemouth before finishing at Fulham on Sunday and the pressure is on as both their opponents have a slim chance of Europa Conference League football on the horizon.
City’s destiny is in their own hands as maximum points would catapult them from sixth place to a respectable, if underachieving, third while two defeats could see them wind up in an unimaginable seventh and facing the relative ignominy of playing in the Europa Conference League.
The last time City finished outside the top two was when they were third in 2016/17 and the year before that they were fourth but you must go all the way back to 2009/10 to find a Premier League table without City in the top four, although even that fifth-place finish would be good enough to rub shoulders with the continental elite this time around.
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In fact, that season was the last time City weren’t involved in a European campaign as they had finished tenth the previous term, meaning they have been at the top table for most of the past last 15 years. Remarkable stuff.
The Cherries are involved in their own tussle with Brentford, Brighton and the Cottagers to finish eighth and pray they replace Chelsea in the Europa Conference League if the Blues beat Real Betis in the final at the end of this month and also finish outside the top five.
The title race and relegation battle may have been decided way too early but the scrap for Europe is going down to the wire and beyond.
Bournemouth beat City 2-1 on the south coast in November but lost 2-1 at the Vitality Stadium in the FA Cup at the end of March when second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Omar Marmoush secured a City victory. But the preference this time is to back Kevin De Bruyne to score in his final home game for the club he has served so magnificently at 11/4 with bet365.
City winning and both teams scoring is 7/4 with the same firm, William Hill, Betway, Betfred, Sky Bet and 888Sport.
Eze pickings as Palace celebrate
There’s going to be a massive party at Selhurst Park when Crystal Palace celebrate winning their first major trophy by beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final as they entertain a Wolves side with little to play for.
Brilliant Eberechi Eze has scored six goals in his last five matches, including the winner at Wembley, taking his tally to eight in 11 since hitting his first international goal for England against Latvia in a World Cup qualifier at the end of March. He’s 17/2 with bet365 and Sky Bet to break the deadlock against Wolves and 10/3 with the latter to find the net at any time, which seems tremendous value.
Palace are 13/8 to win with Betfred and winnings can be spent over the bar at nearby pub The Pawsons Arms where landlord and Eagles fan Graham Box is also on the crest of a wave after his rapid racer Bockos Diamond starred in the second round of the Greyhound Derby at Towcester.
Unbeaten en route to winning the Irish equivalent in November, the flying machine nearly broke the track record in the second round just 90 minutes after Box’s beloved Eagles lifted the trophy.
The sparkling 28.51second success has seen Bockos Diamond cut from 9/2 to 5/2 favourite with sponsors StarSports to win the £175,000 first prize in the Saturday, June 14 final.
• Novak Djokovic competing in the Geneva Open just days before the French Open commences at Roland-Garros seems strange when he could be acclimatising to life in Paris before the second grand slam of the year.
But the sensational Serbian is not enjoying his best year and is frustratingly one triumph short of 100 career titles after early defeats in Monte Carlo and Madrid.
Time is running out as the winner of 25 grand slams, who split with short-term coach Andy Murray last week, turns 38 this week but he is 12/5 with Betfair to reach his incredible milestone on Sunday and take a massive weight off his shoulders.