Alan Pardew added to the pressure on Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal as the Crystal Palace boss suggested his counterpart's future could hinge on their FA Cup final showdown.

Pardew's side booked their first FA Cup final appearance for 26 years with a 2-1 win over Watford on Sunday and in a delicious twist it is United who are once again waiting for them at Wembley on May 21.

It was United's 1990 FA Cup final replay victory over a Palace team featuring Pardew that went a long way to saving Alex Ferguson's job as Old Trafford boss and paved the way for the club's long run of success under the Scot.

Now history is repeating itself as van Gaal takes United into the final aware that lifting the trophy would be a big boost to his chances of avoiding the sack following a troubled campaign that included numerous reports that Jose Mourinho was being lined up to replace him.

Pardew is sympathetic to van Gaal's situation, but that won't stop him trying to make it worse for the Dutchman.

"Louis van Gaal's Manchester United career might rest on this game," Pardew said.

"He has had some awful press and I will be glad to see him at Wembley.

"We will have a different gameplan against Manchester United, but that is not to say we can't control the game. We deserve to be here."

Palace's place in the final was sealed by Connor Wickham, who headed the 61st minute winner after Watford's Troy Deeney cancelled out Yannick Bolasie's early opener.

Wickham was relieved to make amends for his role in Deeney's goal and said: "I think I owed it to the boys. The first goal we conceded was my fault.

"For my goal I knew I was going to win the header and thankfully it went in. We controlled the game from start to finish."

It was also a cathartic triumph for Congo forward Bolasie, whose family live within walking distance of Wembley, where he experienced one of the worst moments of his career in 2013 when he was left out of Palace's Championship play-off win against Watford.

"The goal was a great moment for myself. I didn't get to play at Wembley in the play-offs, so I'm delighted for myself and the team," Bolasie said.

"The fans have been great and so has the manager."