Ahead of their UEFA Champions League playoff against Real Madrid, Manchester City faced a troubling moment as they managed to overcome third-tier Leyton Orient to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
City is set to host Madrid on Tuesday for the first of two matches in the playoff series. Although Pep Guardiola’s side ultimately secured a 2-1 victory over Orient, the performance will need considerable improvement to present a challenge against the current Champions League champions, Madrid.
Orient, looking to create a memorable upset, took the lead 1-0 at halftime against Guardiola’s squad, which has won the Premier League title four times in a row.
City’s comeback was engineered by two substitute players, Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin De Bruyne, at Brisbane Road. Guardiola later remarked on the match, stating, “It was impossible to control. We played with character, and we are in the next round, and it’s always nice.”
The opening goal from Orient was certainly a highlight, as Jamie Donley executed a remarkable shot from just beyond the halfway line, striking the crossbar before ricocheting off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega in the 16th minute.
Though the goal was officially marked as an own-goal, Donley celebrated enthusiastically in front of the home crowd and also earned the player-of-the-match honor.
Nonetheless, City’s resilience led them to a turnaround. A deflection from Rico Lewis saw Khusanov equalize in the 56th minute, and De Bruyne’s flicked shot secured the win in the 79th.
Unfortunately for Guardiola, midfielder Nico Gonzalez, who was signed for $61.8 million, was injured and substituted just 22 minutes into his debut.
In another match, Newcastle, already contenders in the English League Cup final, moved forward in the FA Cup as well, triumphing over Birmingham with a score of 3-2.
Similar to City, Newcastle found itself challenged by lower-league opposition. Birmingham, co-owned by NFL superstar Tom Brady, surged ahead at St. Andrew’s with a goal within the first minute, courtesy of Ethan Laird. A stunning long-range shot from Tomoki Iwata equalized the score at 2-2 before halftime.
Newcastle took until the 82nd minute to regain their lead through Joe Willock, who scored his second of the match, with Callum Wilson also contributing a goal for the visitors.
Bournemouth, soaring high in the Premier League, also advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup, beating Everton 2-0.
Antoine Semenyo opened the scoring with a penalty, followed by Daniel Jebbison adding a goal, putting Bournemouth ahead by halftime at Goodison Park.
Despite hitting the post three times in the second half, Everton was unable to equalize against David Moyes’ squad.
Ipswich, aiming to dodge relegation from the top flight this season, kept their cup aspirations alive with a dominating 4-1 win over second-tier Coventry, highlighted by two goals from Jack Clarke.
However, Southampton, currently sitting at the bottom of the Premier League, faced a setback at home with a 1-0 defeat to Burnley, who is striving for promotion to the top division.
Burnley achieved its 10th shutout in the last 11 games, a remarkable defensive record.
In the battle between Fulham and Wigan, Rodrigo Muniz scored both goals for Fulham in a 2-1 victory.
Wigan, the 2013 cup champions after defeating Manchester City, has not returned to the Premier League since being relegated shortly after that win and now finds itself in the third tier.
Despite their lower league status, Wigan pushed a top-flight Fulham hard, with Jonny Smith leveling the game temporarily in the second half before Muniz netted the decisive goal.
Leeds, current leaders of the second tier, faced elimination from the cup, falling 2-0 at home to Millwall.
