Leyton Orient 1-2 Man City: Match report & 3 talking points as Cityzens progress in FA Cup | OneFootball

Manchester City needed Kevin De Bruyne to save them from the bench on Saturday afternoon as they narrowly beat Leyton Orient 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round.

The League One outfit knew they needed a miracle to overcome the Cityzens and that's what they received in the first half. Jamie Donley's exceptional long-range effort resulted in Stefan Ortega's own goal as Orient dazed their esteemed visitors.

City's persistence paid off after the break, however, with an effort from Rico Lewis deflecting off Abdukodir Khusanov as last year's FA Cup runners-up tied things up. Substitute De Bruyne then proceeded to complete the comeback with a neat finish from Jack Grealish's pass.

How the game unfolded

Despite the chasm in quality between the two sides, Orient were not overawed by the reigning Premier League champions during the early stages and scored a staggering opener in the 16th minute.

Charlie Kelman had already seen his shot saved before Tottenham Hotspur loanee Donley produced a stunning lob from 50 yards that ricocheted off the crossbar and Stefan Ortega before crossing the line. City felt debutant Nico Gonzalez was fouled in the build-up but VAR's absence meant the goal stood.

The £50m winter signing was swiftly withdrawn due to injury as City frantically chased a face-saving equaliser. They struggled to create a glut of clear-cut opportunities in the first period but substitute Bernardo Silva came close as his effort was cleared off the line and Omar Marmoush saw his strike rebuffed by Josh Keeley.

An excellent intervention from half-time substitute Khusanov prevented the hosts from doubling their advantage and the Uzbekistani defender managed a vital touch at the other end as City eventually found their leveller. Lewis' shot from outside the area fortuitously bounced off the 20-year-old's head and wrong-footed Keeley in the Orient goal.

James McAtee struck the post shortly afterwards with an inventive effort as City ramped up the pressure, but Pep Guardiola was left furious with the referee's decision not to award Marmoush a spot kick seconds before the English midfielder clipped the woodwork.

The City manager turned to De Bruyne and Phil Foden from the bench for the closing 20 minutes, desperate to avoid an almighty upset and an unwanted bout of extra-time. That proved a wise decision as the former netted the winning goal, poking beyond the onrushing Keeley to break Orient hearts.

Daniel Happe came close to sending the game beyond regulation time with a last-gasp equaliser but fired his promising far-post effort high and wide, with City just about holding on to their lead to book their spot in the FA Cup fifth round.

Check out the player ratings for Leyton Orient 1-2 Man City here.

Kevin De Bruyne saves Man City

Kevin De Bruyne scored the winner / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

City will have wanted a routine victory on Saturday afternoon to build confidence and allow key first-teamers rest before the upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid on Tuesday evening. Instead, they were given an almighty scare by third-tier Orient, who were worthy adversaries.

The Cityzens were unconvincing to say the least in the capital, with a particularly abject first-half performance making them sweat after the break. Eventually, their bombardment on the Orient goal paid off as De Bruyne rose from the bench to score the winner, with the visitors' muted celebrations speaking volumes. The Premier League behemoths looked embarrassed that it had taken them so long to get their noses in front.

Perhaps still healing from their humiliation at Arsenal last weekend, this was not the performance that Guardiola would have demanded from his players in response. Such a display against Madrid midweek will be punished - perhaps irreversibly.

More defensive issues for Man City

Another shaky defensive display from the Cityzens / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Orient did themselves justice against the riches of the reigning Premier League champions but life was made a little easier for them by City's disjointed backline. Even the return of Ruben Dias for the first half couldn't ease the obvious nerves.

City conceded 13 shots and two big chances to their League One opponents and consistently looked worried by the duo of Donley and Kelman, both of whom were standout performers for Orient. Fears only grew after De Bruyne's 81st-minute strike, with Guardiola's men far from convincing as they attempted to see the game out.

City's decision to shield the ball by the Orient corner flag in stoppage time showed how little faith they had in their ability to kill the game with their usual sharp passing triangles - and the lack of belief in their misfiring backline.

Nightmare debut for Nico Gonzalez

Nico Gonzalez made his first City appearance / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Khusanov may have won the award for worst debut as he gifted Chelsea their opener within four minutes of his City career two weeks ago, but the unfortunate Gonzalez endured a similarly nightmarish first outing on Saturday lunchtime.

The Spaniard completed all 12 of his passes - even providing an excellent through ball that almost forged the first goal of the game - but he was the man robbed of possession inside his own half as Orient scored their opener. Admittedly, he was almost certainly fouled, but the impact of the challenge forced him off the pitch injured just six minutes later.

While it didn't appear a hugely serious concern to the layman's eye as the midfielder clutched his lower back on exit, the 23-year-old is now staring at a potential spell on the sidelines. It would be just City's luck at present if Rodri were to be joined by his replacement in the treatment room.