Leyton Orient 1-2 Manchester City: FA Cup fourth round – as it ...

Barney Ronay’s match report has landed, I shall leave with you that. Ta-ra.

Orient manager Richie Wellens speaks to the BBC

I’m proud because we created chances and at times we caused them problems. The atmosphere was great, it was a brilliant cup tie. But then you realise… the goals are so obvious for us; the runs and the rotations that they make.

We started the game well and our wingers caused them problems, staying high one v one. But I’m disappointed with the winning goal [from Kevin De Bruyne] because it’s one we highlighted all week. At least it took the big boy to come on to beat us!

Charlie Kelman today: wow. Wow! Jamie Donley, we know what a talent he is. All these lads are 21/22 and just at the start of their careers. I’m pleased at their development – not the technical aspect but the game management, what you need to be a proper player.

In terms of the whole day it was a brilliant atmosphere and it’s been brilliant for our supporters. Our chairman’s buzzing because he got to meet Pep before the game! They’re just an unbelievable outfit aren’t they? I wish them well against Madrid, and we just carry on.

Here’s what Pep Guardiola made of it all

[Did you expect it to be that difficult?] Yeah.

[Why?] Because I know the FA Cup! Since [the defeat in] 2018 against Wigan we’ve known how tough it is. It was a typical FA Cup tie and that’s why this competition is unbelievable. They’re a really, really good team, incredibly well managed, but we created a lot of chances. They created chances too, especially through long balls and second balls. We’re happy to be in the next round.

The first 10-15 minutes we struggled when they attacked the channels. It was really hard but after their fantastic goal, we took control of the game.

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The other early game ended Leeds 0-2 Millwall. Read all about it.

Rico Lewis gives the Man City reaction

[What did Pep say at half-time?] He wasn’t going mad or anything like that. It was more that we’d get chances – we’d already created loads – and that we had to keep going. In this kind of environment it’s so easy to let the pressure get to you. He just said to keep our heads and then, when we get our chances, to put them away.

Credit to Leyton Orient, they made it so difficult for us to play. Sometimes they played with six at the back which is so hard to break down. We all know how tough these games can be, especially away from home.

I wouldn’t say we doubted ourselves [at 1-0 down] – at the end of the day we’re Man City and the standards are so high. We’ve got enough leadership and quality to push us through to the end.

Jamie Donley is the player of the match

I thought we did well, we knew it’d be really tough. We’re disappointed to lose but we gave a good account of ourselves and I’m proud of all the boys.

[On the goal] I saw him off his line and I hit it really well. It was a very happy moment. We were delighted to go 1-0 up. [At this point Micah Richards gleefully tells him it was an own goal.] It would have been nicer if we’d won but it’s still a good moment.

It was a special day for the club, you could feel it with the crowd.

[What did the manager say at half-time?] Ten men behind the ball and try not to concede!

Next up…

Of the thousands of teams eliminated in the FA Cup fourth round over the years, few if any have had a richer campaign than Orient in 2024-25. In the earlier rounds there was a 99th-minute equaliser from their goalkeeper and then a penalty shootout. And today they gave Manchester City a huge scare after a piece of the purest FA Cup magic from Jamie Donley.

City had to dig really deep – and bring all their big hitters off the bench – to get through that. Orient led at half-time when Jamie Donley’s amazing 50-yard chip hit the bar and went in off Stefan Ortega. City equalised when Rico Lewis’s shot deflected in off Abdukodir Khusanov, and Kevin De Bruyne won the match with a beautiful finish. Even then Orient had chances to equalise, with Dan Happe volleying just over the ball in the last minute.

Manchester CIty are into the last 16 of the FA Cup – but they were given an almighty scare by Orient in a brilliant cup tie.

90+2 min Another chance for Orient, with Kelman’s volley on the turn blocked desperately by Lewis!

90+1 min Four minutes of added time.

90 min: Whta a chance for Happe! The free-kick is missed by everyone in the middle and volleyed just over the bar by Happe at the far post! He couldn’t have caught it more sweetly but he couldn’t keep it down. My word, what a performance this has been from Orient.

90 min Orient win a free-kick on the right. The goalkeeper Josh Keeley, who scored in the second round, is going forward.

88 min City break and Obiero is booked for a foul on Marmoush, who missed a good chance in the first half but has otherwise been excellent up front.

87 min Tom James’ long throw is headed down by De Bruyne to Cooper, whose low shot is blocked. Then Pratley turns on the edge of the area and batters a shot over the bar. Half a chan ce.

86 min: Triple substitution for Orient Dan Agyei, Dom Ball and Zech Obiero replace Ethan Galbraith, Jordan Brown and Jamie Donley, the man who is now part of FA Cup folklore.

83 min I could happily watch Kevin De Bruyne play football for the rest of my natural-born days. There’s never been a player quite like him in English football.

82 min Lewis’s cross deflects behind for a corner. After an heroic effort, Orient look out on their feet.

Kevin De Bruyne has given City the lead with an exquisite finish. Grealish, on the left touchline, spotted De Bruyne’s run and flipped the ball in behind. It looked like it was bouncing away from De Bruyne until he stretched to flick it around Keeley and into the net. That’s such a classy finish – not just the technique but the way he read the bounce and took the shot so early to surprise Keeley.

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Form is temporary…

77 min Ortega misses Donley’s corner and is very relieved to see it flash across the face of goal. City break and Cooper is booked for a cynical foul on Marmoush. Had VAR been in use he may well have been sent off because his studs scraped down the back of Marmoush’s leg.

76 min: Good save by Ortega! Kelman controls a pass neatly on the thigh, shifts the ball to the right and batters a shot from a tight angle. Ortega dives to push it round the near post. Kelman has been outstanding.

75 min Currie does superbly to get across Foden and stop him having a clean volley from De Bruyne’s cross.

74 min As the BBC commentary team have just pointed out, City will be desperate to avoid extra-time; they play Real Madrid on Tuesday night.

73 min Kelman scurries dangerously down the inside-right channel and slides an inviting low cross. Alas, there’s nobody there to turn it in for Orient.

72 min: Double substitution for City Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne replace Nico O’Reilly and James McAtee. That probably means Bernardo Silva will go to left-back.

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70 min Orient have a little spell of possession, which if nothing else gives their defenders a breather. They’ve played so well; and whatever happens from here, they’ve given City a major scare.

67 min As if Orient weren’t under enough pressure, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne are getting ready to come on.

65 min: Orient substitution Brandon Cooper replaces Sonny Perkins. Orient are hanging on now – but they still, tantalisingly, look dangerous on the break.

64 min: Fine save by Keeley! Gundogan’s sidefoot from the edge of the area takes a deflection and is saved brilliantly by Keeley, plunging to his left. He would have seen that really late.

63 min Guardiola isn’t happy about that challenge on Marmoush and I think he has a case. That said, McAtee should probably have scored anyway.

62 min: McAtee hits the post! Lovely play from City. McAtee pushes a short pass into the area for Marmoush, who tries to turn and goes down. It looked like a foul but play continued and McAtee flicked a shot with the outside of the left foot that beat Keeley and ricocheted off the outside of the post.

59 min: Just wide by Kelman! Donley’s curling is free-kick is volleyed just past the near post by Kelman, eight yards out. It was a pretty good effort because he saw it later after Pratley ducked in front of him, but having made such clean contact he’ll be frustrated he didn’t get it on target.