Manchester City Scrape Past Leyton Orient

A surprising own goal put Orient in the lead early on, and City had a tough time bouncing back until some late second-half goals saved the day.

February 8, 2025
3:32 pm

Manchester City just squeaked by with a 2-1 win over Leyton Orient in a nail-biting FA Cup match. Even with a big gap in quality and resources, Pep Guardiola’s squad found themselves in a tough spot against a fearless Orient team that really pushed the reigning Premier League champs at Brisbane Road.

Most folks expected an easy win for City, but Leyton Orient had other ideas. The home team came out swinging, refusing to back down and show too much respect to their fancy opponents. Their efforts paid off in the 16th minute when Jamie Donley, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, took a wild shot from his own half. The audacious attempt hit the crossbar, then bounced off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and rolled into the net for an own goal. Brisbane Road erupted in disbelief as the underdogs took a stunning lead.

City, caught off guard by Orient’s energy, struggled to respond. Their usual slick passing was stifled by a well-organized home side, and clear chances were hard to come by. Ilkay Gündogan missed a golden opportunity to equalize before halftime, leaving Guardiola’s men trailing and with a lot to think about during the break.

In the second half, City desperately searched for a breakthrough, but even with more possession, they lacked their usual sharpness. Their equalizer finally came in the 56th minute, and it was a bit lucky. A deflected shot from Abdukodir Khusanov wrong-footed Orient goalkeeper Josh Keeley, leveling the score and sparing City from further embarrassment—for now.

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Even after equalizing, City couldn’t find their groove, and Leyton Orient kept frustrating them with solid defending and quick counter-attacks. The underdogs looked like they might force a replay, which would have been a nightmare for Guardiola’s packed schedule. But, as often happens, City’s individual talent saved the day in the closing stages. In the 79th minute, Jack Grealish set up Kevin De Bruyne, who flicked the ball past Keeley to put City ahead for the first time.

Despite taking the lead, City still seemed uneasy, and Orient kept pressing in the final moments. A few shaky defensive moments had the hosts threatening a late equalizer, but City managed to hold on, narrowly avoiding what would have been one of the biggest FA Cup shocks in recent years. Guardiola’s relieved look at full-time said it all—this performance raised more questions than answers for the Premier League giants.

Adding to City’s worries was an injury to debutant Nico González, who lasted just 20 minutes before leaving with a back issue. With crucial matches against Real Madrid and important domestic games coming up, City can’t afford any more setbacks, and their lackluster showing against a League One team won’t exactly boost fan confidence.

While City’s name is in the hat for the next round, Leyton Orient can walk away proud. The League One side not only made life tough for one of Europe’s best teams but also reminded everyone of the magic of the FA Cup. As for City, they’ll need to step it up if they want to compete on multiple fronts this season.