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It took the full 90 minutes, a tactical rejig, five substitutes and the introduction of two Professional Footballers’ Association players’ player of the year winners, but Manchester City eventually succeeded in reeling in Leyton Orient.
Kevin De Bruyne’s winner completed a 2-1 victory for City in this fourth round FA Cup tie after Orient had led at half-time through a goalkeeping own goal made by a sublime intervention from Jamie Donley.
No shock then. No need for Pep Guardiola to worry about being sacked in the morning as the home fans seemed convinced would be the case through the middle section of this game. But Orient were exceptionally good here against the champions of England, and not in a spirit-and-sweat kind of way, but organised, good on the ball, and equal partners in a wonderful Cup tie.
As the City bus turned up outside the ground two hours before kick-off a small group of middle aged men had shouted “Ya-Nited” at it with an impressively genuine sense of rage. Otherwise Brisbane Road was a boisterous, excitingly misty place, packed to its 9,000 capacity, with locals craning in over the roofs and balconies of nearby flats.
The last time these two teams played was two months before England won the World Cup. Orient’s all-time record buy is £200,000. But City still came needing a win. This is the wobbly old mucked-about beauty of the game. And it filtered out here into a fine lunchtime game.
Pep Guardiola made nine changes from the team that lay down and waggled its legs in the air in the against Arsenal. There was risk in this. Vitor Reis, a 19-year-old Brazilian, made his debut. Nico González made his debut in the key role of Rodri vacuum-filler.
Orient were feisty and unafraid from the first whistle. They pushed hard down the left flank in the opening minutes. After which the game settled into the expected pattern of calm, surgical City possession. Ilkay Gündogan air-kicked in front of goal, a startled prod after the ball trickled right across the box to him.
Savinho was having a day out on the right, too nimble to be contained. But Orient were also sharp and focused in their attacks. Their first chance came on 14 minutes, Charlie Kelman haring away from City’s high line on to a simple long through pass, but unable to find the right angle, his shot blocked by the goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
Then with 18 minutes gone something wild happened. The best thing about Orient’s opener was that it wasn’t born out of chaos or disruption, but a moment of beautifully pure vision and skill. The ball was punted upfield from the left-back channel. González took possession to the left of central midfield, but was robbed by Ethan Galbraith, closing in hungrily, bumping him to the floor. The ball ran loose. At which point Donley produced a moment for the ages, or certainly for the rest of his life as long as he feels like talking about it.
Donley’s first time shot wasn’t a lob or a chip or a punt. It was floated perfectly, travelling in a flat arc from a few yards beyond the centre circle, over the flailing hand of Ortega and on to the underside of the bar. From there it bounced back out, hit the City goalkeeper’s back, and bounced in.
Brisbane Road went nuts, bodies tumbling in the stands, people falling over themselves, arms and legs flailing. Ortega gets the own goal. But this was Donley’s moment.
It was a moment for González too, who injured his back in the challenge and was subbed off moments later, replaced by Bernardo Silva. He will of course be back. For now, welcome to the pyramid. How was it for you?
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City pressed hard in waves, although often there was a sense of a team with too much time, too many options, undecided which route to take while walking the ball into the net. Donley cleared a Silva shot off the line. Jack Grealish took the ball in space in the area at one point with a clear sight of goal, coiled for a shot, then passed it backwards, which will at least help with the completion metrics.
Orient were bright and swift on the break. Sonny Perkins shot just over after a surge down the left, another case of League One players preying on City’s high line with alarming ease. In stoppage time before the break Keeley made a wonderful save, finding exactly the right spot to spread himself and block Omar Marmoush’s close-range finish with his legs and an arm.
Half-time arrived with a mild sense of disbelief around the ground. City kicked off after the break with a totally rejigged back three of Abdukodir Khusanov, John Stones and O’Reilly. Keeley continued to act as a one man lime green wall, saving from Marmoush, through on goal, with his face. But any hopes of a miracle of defiance crumbled as City equalised on 55 minutes. The ball came from a quickly taken corner, Grealish funnelling the ball to Rico Lewis, whose shot was deflected in off the back of the crouching Khusanov.
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Orient almost struck back straight away, a set piece from the left deflected just past the post. Kelman made another half chance for himself, his powerful shot saved by Ortega. De Bruyne came on and was bumped and harried in midfield. And on 78 minutes City took the lead. The goal was made by Grealish’s floated pass into the space behind the defence, and by De Bruyne’s run from the centre, followed by a flicked finish on the run.
There were chances for an equaliser at the death. City held out and take their place in the fifth round.
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