Kevin De Bruyne spared Manchester City‘s blushes as they came from behind to beat third-tier Leyton Orient 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round.
Pep Guardiola’s troubled side were rocked when Jamie Donley’s long-range effort came back off the bar and rebounded in off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, giving Orient an early lead at Brisbane Road.
City finally drew level after 56 minutes when Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov deflected in Rico Lewis’s shot for his first Manchester City goal since signing from Lens in the January transfer window.
Guardiola had to turn to his bench more than he would have liked just four days before a mammoth Champions League play-off round first leg against Real Madrid. But the introduction of De Bruyne made the difference, as the Belgian midfielder scored 11 minutes from time.
“It was a typical FA Cup game, that is why this competition is unbelievable. For the fans, how the crowd support and we knew they are strong,” Guardiola said.
“It is my ninth season in England. I played many times against lower-division teams. It was a tight game and we knew it for the situation that we have, but we reacted really well with great character.”
Victory came at a cost for City, though, as new midfielder Nico Gonzalez hobbled off just 22 minutes into his debut after a £50 million ($62 million) move from Porto.
Meanwhile, bottom-of-the-table Southampton found no respite in the FA Cup as second-tier Burnley secured a 1-0 win at St Mary’s.
Scott Parker’s side went ahead in the 77th minute when Marcus Edwards scored from close range on his debut after joining on loan from Sporting Lisbon.
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