Barney Ronay’s match report has landed, I shall leave with you that. Ta-ra.
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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!
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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.
Full time: Leyton Orient 1-2 Manchester City
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.
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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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GOAL! Leyton Orient 1-2 Man City (De Bruyne 79)
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.
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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.
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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.
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58 min Perkins turns smartly and has a long-range shot blocked by Stones. Orient have some fine, fearless players; I really like the centre-forward Charlie Kelman, on loan from QPR.
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57 min City deserve their equaliser on the balance of play, though the manner of it will frustrate Orient.
GOAL! Leyton Orient 1-1 Man City (Khusanov 56)
City take a quick corner on the left and work the ball infield to Lewis, 22 yards out. His shot is going straight at Keeley until it hits the unsighted Khusanov and bounces slowly into the corner.
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56 min: Terrific save by Keeley! Marmoush makes a great run behind the defence, onto a fabulous long pass from O’Reilly, and Keeley is out quickly to deny him. But then…
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54 min: Orient substitution Darren Pratley is on for Diallang Jaiyesimi.
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53 min A loose ball runs to Gundogan, whose shot from the edge of the D is well blocked. Lewis swishes the rebound over the bar from 16 yards.
52 min Grealish zips infield from the left to win a corner for City. Marmoush’s corner is poor and doesn’t beat the front post.
50 min There are gleeful olés from the home fans as Orient pass the ball round. It’s a bit early for that, folks.
49 min: Brilliant defending from Khusanov! He made a bad mistake against Chelsea a fortnight ago but he’s probably saved a goal there. Donley played a nice pass to Galbraith, who slid a perfect cross into the corridor of uncertainty. Kelman was about to tap it in at the far post where Khusanov got back to poke the ball away from him.
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48 min “Happy memories of watching the Os back in the day – but nothing as intoxicating as this,” says Paul Griffin. “At this rate, City are going to be all out for revenge when they meet Leyton Orient in next season’s Vertu Cup.”
47 min Marmoush’s shot on the turn is saved comfortably by Keeley.
46 min Pep Guardiola has made a double substitution at half-time: John Stones and Abdukodir Khusanov are on for the centre-backs Vitor Reis and Ruben Dias.
Half-time reading
Half time: Leyton Orient 1-0 Manchester City
Leyton Orient could be 45 minutes away from one of the all-time-great FA Cup shocks. They lead through Stefan Ortega’s own goal, the result of an astonishing piece of skill from Jamie Donley. He hit the bar from 50 yards and the ball deflected in off the backpedalling off Ortega.
City, who lost their new signing Nico Gonzalez to injury, were increasingly threatening as the half progressed. Donley cleared off the line from Bernardo Silva and Josh Keeley made a fine save to deny Omar Marmoush. You’d still expect City to turn things round. Even if they do, we’ll be talking about Orient’s goal for as long as the FA Cup lives.
45+5 min “One of the joys of going to Brisbane Road in the 1990s was standing on an open, windswept half-filled home terrace where the supporters and more importantly the players could hear all the cursing, malice, despair and that rarest of things, some encouragement, coming from the home fans,” begins Ian Burch.
“At that time the O’s were engaged in a rivalry with lowly Brighton and drew them at home in the FA Cup. O’s forward Tony Richards was usually the target of most of the home’s fans animosity, but on this occasion, he stunned the malcontents, Brighton’s large away following and no doubt himself by scoring a hat trick as the O’s won 4-2.
“Up waiting for a corner at the home end a bloke behind the goal got Tony’s attention with ‘Tony, Tony, great goals son’ which got a thumbs up and a shy smile in return, there was then a pause followed by ‘Tony, Tony, you’re still effing useless though’.
“Tony kept his dignity by staring at his feet bless him. I have some very happy memories of watching the O’s, no doubt a bit different to those of a forward carrying the hopes and dreams of a Div 2 crowd on his back.”
I didn’t realise John Sitton watched the game from behind the goal when he was manager. Ho ho ho.
45+4 min An Orient corner is cleared to Donley, 25 yards out. He hits a stinging half-volley that takes a deflection and is held to his right by Ortega. I think Donley’s original effort was off target but it was another sign of his stratospheric confidence that he took the shot on.
45+3 min: Fine save by Keeley! Savinho’s delicious outside-of-the-boot cross is volleyed towards goal by Marmoush, 10 yards out, and Keeley does superbly to change direction and keep it out. Marmoush probably should have scored but it was still excellent goalkeeping.
45+2 min McAtee has a sniff of a chance but then overruns the ball on the edge of the area and is dispossessed.
45 min There will be six added minutes, mainly because of the treatment required by Nico Gonzalez and Josh Keeley.
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43 min “The magic of the etc., eh ?” says Jeremy Boyce. “I went to Fortress Brisbane many years ago, following the mighty Shrews. It wasn’t very magic at the time. Any news from loveable Leeds v menacing Millwall?”
42 min McAtee is booked for a cynical foul on Jaiyesimi.
42 min A good break from Orient. Kelman gets away down the left – Orient are getting lots of joy there – and slides the ball back to Perkins 15 yards out. He screws a first-time shot over the bar with his left foot.
40 min City are really pressing. Savinho has another shot blocked on the edge of the area after making an excellent angled run in behind. A cleaner first touch would have put him straight through on goal; instead it was slightly behind him and that allowed a couple of defenders to get back.
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39 min Savinho whistles a half-volley over the bar from the edge of the D. Decent effort but a few yards too high.
38 min Galbraith is a bit fortunate to escape a yellow card after taking out Grealish. I think it might have been Donley, the man of the moment, who cleared that Bernardo Silva shot off the line.
Edit: it was indeed. What a day he’s having!
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37 min: Off the line! After an extended spell of City pressure, Grealish teases a lovely ball to find Bernardo Silva beyond the far post. He cushions a volley past Keeley from a tight angle but an Orient player gets back to boot it off the line.
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36 min Savinho, who has been City’s most dangerous attacker, is fouled on the right. Marmoush takes and Gunodgan’s near-post header is blocked at source.
34 min Keeley is okay to continue. I’m trying to assess where that Donley effort sits on the Radfordometer. Given City’s status as the greatest team in England for the last eight years, I’d argue it’s right up there.
33 min “This all feels eerily reminiscent of that weird Fergie era between 2004-06,” says Nick Parmenter. “A combination of reliance on players past their best or too young with summer signings not good enough and with some January signings who will be stars in 12-18 months and with a star striker where the team have to funnel the ball to him or else he doesn’t offer much. Sorry if that seems long winded!”
Not at all. Of course, Man Utd only emerged from the funk when they sold their star striker.
32 min Savinho’s corner is met by the head of Dias and saved comfortably by Keeley. He then throws the ball straight out of play so that he can receive treatment. Not sure what happened there.
30 min Bernardo Silva’s shot is blocked after a bit of a scramble in the Orient area.
28 min When do City start to panic? Not yet, clearly, but Pep won’t want to be 1-0 down after an hour. He does have Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden on the bench if necessary.
27 min This is a tremendous line from Gary Naylor.
Have we ever had an own goal win Goal of the Month? Because I think we will.
26 min City are having lots of the ball, this being a football match, but so far Keeley hasn’t had a difficult save to make. Their only big chance was Gundogan’s in the 10th minute.
24 min Savinho’s attempted crossfield pass hits Jaiyesimi straight in the face. There’s a break in play while he’s checked for concussion.
23 min My colleague Tom Davies, one of the true good guys, is an Orient fan and will be at the game today. What I’d give to see a 30-second video of his face before, during and after that extraordinary goal. Those of us who support or supported a big club will never know that kind of joy.
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22 min: Man City substitution Poor Nico Gonzalez is limping off to be replaced by Bernardo Silva. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious; he landed awkwardly when he was challenged in the lead up to the Orient goal.
20 min Gonzalez is down with a back problem and looks in a fair bit of distress. Welcome to English football and all that.
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18 min City thought there might have been a foul on Gonzalez just before Donley’s shot. There’s no VAR in this round of the cup, though I don’t think it would have been overturned anyway.
Jamie Donley, on loan from Spurs, has gone straight into FA Cup folklore. He ran onto a loose ball, just inside the City half, spotted Ortega off this line and drove a first-time chip towards goal. The ball hit the underside of the bar, then bounced off the backpedalling Ortega and into the net. Technically it’s an own goal but it was an extraordinary piece of skill from Donley. The audacity on him!
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GOAL! Orient 1-0 Man City (Ortega og 16)
Orient take the lead in amazing circumstances!
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14 min: Chance for Orient! A long ball releases Kelman, who scoots away from Reis and into the penalty area. His touch is heavy, possibly because Reis was leaning into him, and forces him wide. Bbut he still manages to stretch and screw a shot towards goal that is blocked by Ortega. Good save.
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12 min City are dominating possession as you’d expect, with 75 per cent so far. Savinho’s deflected cross bounces towards the onrushing O’Reilly, whose shot from the edge of the area is blocked. When Savinho is on – and he has started really well – he’s close to unplayable. He’s only 20 and has the potential to become one of the world’s best players.
11 min “The coupon on Gundogan there,” says Niall Mullen. “I came back from Catalonia for this?”
As well as everything else, it looks bone-chillingly cold out there.
10 min: Gundogan misses a great chance! Gonzalez clips a delicious angled pass over the defence to Savinho, who cushions a volley across goal towards Gundogan. He can’t sort his feet and shoots tamely wide from eight yards. He may have been put off by an air shot from Simpson.
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7 min City won a couple of corners in quick succession; neither amounts to much.
5 min Orient have started well and are trying to hurt City with early balls down their left. City’s right-back Rico Lewis generally moves infield when they have the ball.
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4 min Kelman’s backheel releases Currie, whose superb cross runs tantalisingly across the six-yard box with Ortega rooted to his line. Reis is caught in two minds and gets a bit lucky when he is fouled by Donley (I think) at the far post.
4 min Grealish, who is being booed every time he touches the ball, cuts inside with intent but drags a shot well wide of the near post.
2 min Jaiyesimi is released on the left by a long pass. He moves into the area and tries to wriggle past Lewis, who stays on his feet and does enough to allow the ball to run through to Ortega.
2 min It’s a grim afternoon in East London: wet, windy and more than a little brisk.
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1 min Peep peep! Orient kick off from right to left as we watch.
A reminder of the teams, who are taking the field as I type.
Leyton Orient (possible 4-2-3-1) Keeley; Galbraith, Simpson, Happe, Currie; James, Brown; Perkins, Donley, Jaiyesimi; Kelman.
Substitutes: Phillips, Sweeney, Cooper, Agyei, Ball, Pratley, Obiero, Carter, Markanday.
Manchester City (possible 4-1-4-1) Ortega, Lewis, Reis, Dias, O’Reilly, Gonzalez; Savinho, McAtee, Gundogan, Grealish; Marmoush.
Substitutes: Carson, Stones, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Akanji, Nunes, Khusanov, Foden, Mubama.
Referee Darren Bond.
The hero of Orient’s run so far has been the young Irish goalkeeper Josh Keeley, on loan from Tottenham. He scored a last-minute equaliser against Oldham in the second round, then saved a penalty from Derby’s Callum Elder in a third-round shootout.
Today’s game is a lunchtime kick-off. But 30 years ago yesterday, dinner was on the menu in the Orient dressing-room.
(NB: Clip contains language, a lot of language, that some readers may find offensive.)
Rules and regulations
No VAR
Extra-time and penalties if necessary
That’s it
The last time these teams met was a 2-2 draw in the second tier in May 1966. Orient were relegated that year; City were promoted would be champions of England two years later. Their last FA Cup clash was 99 years in the quarter-final. It was a one-sided affair.
Team news
Richie Wellens makes four changes to the Orient side that lost at home to Stockport a week ago. Tom James, Jack Simpson, Diallang Jaiyesimi and Sonny Perkins replace Brandon Cooper, Darren Pratley, Azeem Abdulai and Dilan Markanday.
With Real Madrid waiting on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola has made eight changes from the defeat at Arsenal. The survivors are Stefan Ortega, Savinho and Omar Marmoush. The new signings Vitor Reis and Nico Gonzalez make their City debuts.
Leyton Orient (possible 4-2-3-1) Keeley; James, Simpson, Happe, Currie; Galbraith, Brown; Perkins, Donley, Jaiyesimi; Kelman.
Substitutes: Phillips, Sweeney, Cooper, Agyei, Ball, Pratley, Obiero, Carter, Markanday.
Manchester City (possible 4-1-4-1) Ortega, Lewis, Reis, Dias, O’Reilly, Gonzalez; Savinho, McAtee, Gundogan, Grealish; Marmoush.
Substitutes: Carson, Stones, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Akanji, Nunes, Khusanov, Foden, Mubama.
Referee Darren Bond.
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Leyton Orient are a team on the up, sixth in League One and with a chance of reaching the second tier for the first time since 1981-82.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Leyton Orient v Manchester City in the FA Cup. A few months ago the idea of Orient landing a stone on City’s forehead would have been unthinkable. Now, while still highly unlikely, it doesn’t feel entirely beyond the realms.
City’s recent results would suggest that anything is possible: 4-1, 8-0, 2-2, 6-0, 2-4, 3-1, 3-1, 1-5. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if they took out their frustration on Orient. This is City’s first game since the alarming collapse against Arsenal last Sunday. They are still fighting on three fronts – Champions League, FA Cup, top four in the Premier League – and today is the start of a crucial run of fixtures in the rest of February. After this they play Real Madrid, Newcastle, Real Madrid again, Liverpool and Spurs.
Kick off 12.15pm.
