Manchester City were pushed to their limits before securing a 2-1 FA Cup fourth-round win over a determined Leyton Orient on Saturday afternoon.
Despite fielding a strong lineup at Brisbane Road, City got off to a nightmare start against the League One side. Jamie Donley’s stunning long-range lob hit the crossbar, then bounced off goalkeeper Stefan Ortega’s back and into the net, giving Orient an unexpected lead with an own goal to Ortega’s name.
Donley then turned defender in the closing stages of the first half, clearing a Bernardo Silva effort off the line, while Omar Marmoush tested goalkeeper Josh Keeley from close range. However, Orient held their ground and took a one-goal lead into the break.
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That advantage vanished just ten minutes after the restart, as a stroke of luck favored the Premier League giants. Rico Lewis’ long-range shot took a deflection off substitute Abdukodir Khusanov’s head before finding the corner of Keeley’s goal.
James McAtee nearly gave City the lead, striking the post as they pushed for a winner, which eventually came from Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian playmaker, coming off the bench, calmly finished past Keeley after a brilliant through ball from Jack Grealish.
Although City would have preferred a more comfortable outing ahead of their Champions League clash with Real Madrid midweek, they showed resilience to secure their place in the FA Cup fifth round.