Manchester City Overcome Leyton Orient in FA Cup Thriller
Manchester City narrowly avoided an FA Cup upset as they came from behind to defeat League One side Leyton Orient 2-1 in a thrilling fourth-round tie at Brisbane Road. The Premier League champions were stunned in the 16th minute when Tottenham loanee Jamie Donley produced a moment of magic, chipping City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from the halfway line. The ball rebounded off Ortega and into the net, sending the home crowd into raptures.
City, who were without VAR for the match, struggled to break down a resilient Orient side in the first half. However, they equalised in the 56th minute when Rico Lewis’ shot deflected in off substitute Abdukodir Khusanov. Pep Guardiola then turned to his bench, introducing Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden to change the game. De Bruyne delivered the decisive blow in the 79th minute, pouncing on a long ball to steer a composed finish past Orient’s Josh Keeley.
Despite the defeat, Leyton Orient earned plaudits for their spirited performance. Donley’s audacious goal will be remembered as one of the highlights of this season’s FA Cup, while Keeley made several crucial saves to keep his side in the contest. Orient boss Richie Wellens expressed pride in his team’s display but lamented the nature of the goals conceded.
For City, the victory came at a cost. New signing Nico Gonzalez, making his debut after a £49 million move from Porto, suffered an injury just 22 minutes into the match and is now a doubt for their upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid. Guardiola praised his team’s resilience but acknowledged the challenge posed by Orient, saying, “It was really hard, but we took control of the game and created a lot of chances.”
The result sees Manchester City progress to the fifth round, where they will continue their quest for a domestic treble. Leyton Orient, meanwhile, exit the competition with their heads held high after pushing one of Europe’s elite teams to the limit.
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