Leyton Orient 1, Manchester City 2
Kevin De Bruyne came off the bench to score a late winner for Manchester City who had to come from behind to beat Leyton Orient.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe O’s had taken the lead through Jamie Donlan’s spectacular first half goal that went in off Stefan Ortega and City needed to battle their way back through a deflected shot that came off Abdukodir Khusanov and a clever late finish by De Bruyne.
Orient boss Richie Wellens said:
“The atmosphere was buzzing. We created a lot of chances. The goals were so obvious for us. Their wingers stayed high and caused us problems
“The first goal was a deflection and I am disappointed in their second goal, we trained for that but it took one of the big boys to come on and beat us.
“We didn’t have all our players available and in the last few minutes we didn’t have the legs.”
City boss Pep Guardiola praised their opponents, relieved after his selection gamble paid off.
He said: “It was a typical FA Cup game – this competition is unbelievable.
“They are a really good team, incredibly well managed.”
Guardiola handed debuts to Nico Gonzalez and Vitor Reis in a much changed side.
Only Stefan Ortega, Savinho, and Omar Marmoush were retained from City’s defeat at Arsenal last Sunday as Rico Lewis, Reis, Ruben Dias, Nico O’Reilly, Gonzalez, Ilkay Gundogan, James McAtee, and Jack Grealish came into the side.
And in a wet game at a packed Brisbane Road filled with presentable chances for both sides
20-year-old midfielder Jamie Donlan, on loan from Spurs, had capitalised on a foul on debutant Nico Gonzalez to lift the ball over Stefan Ortega from just inside the City half after he had spotted the German off his line after just 16 minutes.
The ball came back off the crossbar and off the back of the backpedaling City keeper for a spectacular own goal to put the home inside into a shock lead.
City’s woes increased after Gonzalez had appeared to be fouled in the build up to the goal and subsequently had to be taken off after he indicated towards his back.
Abdukodir Khusanov was credited with the equaliser after Rico Lewis’ 25 yard shot took a massive deflection off the Uzbek defender’s shoulder to wrong foot O’s keeper Josh Keeley.
With time running out City boss Pep Guardiola sent on Kevin De Bruyne and the Belgian duly delivered the winner after ghosting onto Jack Grealish’s through ball and dinking it beyond the reach of Keeley with 11 minutes to go.