Kevin De Bruyne struck in the 79th minute to spare the blushes of Manchester City and earn them a hard-fought 2-1 victory in a rip-roaring FA Cup fourth-round tie at Leyton Orient.
The League One side went ahead in remarkable fashion after 16 minutes when a 40-yard strike by Tottenham loanee Jamie Donley hit the bar and went in off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to send Brisbane Road into pandemonium.
Pep Guardiola had watched City get thumped 5-1 at Arsenal last Sunday and would have feared more London woe, but substitute Abdukodir Khusanov deflected a Rico Lewis shot to level after 56 minutes.
De Bruyne was brought on soon after and poked home with 11 minutes left to break the hearts of the O’s and their Manchester United-supporting boss Richie Wellens, as the Premier League champions progressed into round five.
While this competition represented City’s best chance of silverware this season, Guardiola made eight changes from the thrashing up the road at the Emirates Stadium with debuts handed to new signings Vitor Reis and Nicolas Gonzalez.
Erling Haaland was given the afternoon off and Orient fans dared to dream, especially after Jonathan Tehoue – the hero of a 1-1 draw with Arsenal 14 years ago – was presented to a buoyant crowd before kick-off.
Jack Grealish was the only City player familiar with Brisbane Road after an appearance there while on loan at Notts County in 2013 and he dragged an early effort wide amid boos.
A miscued clearance by Jack Simpson soon after presented City with another chance, but Ilkay Gundogan’s shot was off target.
It had not been completely one-way traffic, though, and Orient should have taken the lead after 14 minutes.
Jordan Brown clipped the ball behind the City defence and Charlie Kelman raced away, but a heavy second touch allowed Ortega to thwart the forward.
Wellens had come down from a seat in the West Stand by this point and seconds later watched Donley produce a moment of magic.
After Gonzalez was crowded out by Sonny Perkins, Donley spotted Ortega off his line and sent a long-range effort towards goal, which bounced off the crossbar and hit the back-pedalling goalkeeper to give Orient a shock lead.
It sent the decibels levels through the roof in E10 and after James McAtee fired tamely at Josh Keeley, a debut to forget for Gonzalez ended in the 22nd minute when he limped off.
Bernardo Silva got the nod and had a shot blocked by Simpson before Donley got back on the line to deny the City substitute again.
The pressure continued as Keeley punched away Omar Marmoush’s free kick and Savinho fired over from range.
Keeley was required again before half time when Savinho’s sumptuous cross found Marmoush but the goalkeeper – like Donley, on loan from Tottenham – produced a fine close-range save to ensure it stayed 1-0.
Guardiola made a double change at the break with defenders John Stones and Khusanov introduced as City aimed to avoid an almighty cup upset.
Not long after, Gundogan had a shot blocked and Lewis fired wide. Keeley pulled off another outstanding stop to deny Marmoush in the 55th minute but from the resulting corner, he was finally beaten.
A quick set piece allowed Grealish to tee up Lewis and his 20-yard effort deflected off the head of teammate Khusanov to wrong-foot Keeley.
Orient almost rallied immediately when Donley’s low free kick found Kelman, but he poked wide to leave boss Wellens looking up to the sky in disbelief.
Chances followed at both ends, with a McAtee effort poked wide before Perkins’s weak header failed to trouble Ortega.
Gundogan was denied again after 64 minutes when Keeley brilliantly got down low to his left to make a superb save.
Phil Foden and De Bruyne got the call soon after but the next opportunity went to Orient, as Kelman’s fizzing drive was parried wide by Ortega.
Eventually, City’s quality did tell as with 11 minutes left, Guardiola watched his team take the lead.
Grealish was afforded too much time by the touchline and chipped through to De Bruyne, who poked past the onrushing Keeley to make it 2-1.
There was still time for Keeley, who scored against Oldham, to go up for a stoppage-time free-kick, from which Dan Happe fired agonisingly wide.
