Manchester City faced a challenging encounter against Leyton Orient, a team from the third tier, but managed to edge past them with a 2-1 victory to move into the fifth round of the FA Cup. This match came just days before their crucial Champions League playoff against Real Madrid, and Pep Guardiola’s squad will need to elevate their performance significantly to compete with the reigning Champions League holders.
Orient initially took the lead at half-time, creating a potential upset as they went ahead 1-0 against City’s squad, known for being four-time defending champions of the Premier League. The breakthrough occurred in the 16th minute when Jamie Donley executed a remarkable goal from just beyond the halfway mark, which struck the bar and inadvertently ricocheted off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega. While it was officially ruled as an own goal, Donley celebrated exuberantly in front of the home crowd, even being named player of the match.
However, City’s resilience showed as they equalized shortly after the halftime mark. Abdukodir Khusanov found the net in the 56th minute, deflecting a shot from Rico Lewis to level the score. Later, Kevin De Bruyne sealed the comeback with a decisive goal in the 79th minute. Despite the win, Guardiola received disappointing news as his $61.8 million midfielder Nico Gonzalez had to leave the game due to injury just 22 minutes into his debut.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United, who are already set for the English League Cup final, progressed in the FA Cup with a close 3-2 win against Birmingham City. Once again illustrating the unpredictability of cup matches, the top-flight team was pushed hard by their League One rivals. Birmingham, co-owned by NFL star Tom Brady, took an early lead through Ethan Laird and later equalized with a spectacular long-range shot by Tomoki Iwata. Ultimately, it was Joe Willock’s late goal in the 82nd minute that restored Newcastle’s lead, while Callum Wilson also contributed to their victory.
In another surprising turn, Chelsea was eliminated from the competition by Brighton, losing 2-1 despite starting the match brightly with an early own goal from Brighton’s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. However, Brighton quickly turned the tide with equalizing and eventual winning goals from Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma, respectively.
On a positive note, Bournemouth secured their position in the next round with a solid 2-0 victory over Everton. Goals from Antoine Semenyo and Daniel Jebbison gave them a comfortable lead at Goodison Park, though Everton came close to leveling the match with three strikes hitting the woodwork in the second half.
Ipswich, focused on staying clear of relegation, continued their cup journey with an impressive 4-1 win over Coventry, highlighted by a brace from Jack Clarke. Conversely, Southampton’s struggles persisted as they fell 1-0 at home to Burnley—notably their 10th shutout in the last 11 matches—as Burnley continues to vie for promotion back to the Premier League.
Rodrigo Muniz of Fulham contributed significantly by scoring both goals in a 2-1 win against Wigan, who, despite their storied past in the competition, could not overcome the challenge posed by Fulham. The match proved tough as Wigan equalized before Muniz netted his second goal to clinch the win. In another upset, second-tier leaders Leeds were knocked out of the cup after a 2-0 home defeat to Millwall.
