Kevin De Bruyne’s late strike saved Manchester City’s blushes as they came from behind to edge third-tier Leyton Orient 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round, while Southampton’s nightmare season took another crushing blow with a humiliating 1-0 defeat to Burnley.
Pep Guardiola’s side were stunned early on at Brisbane Road when Jamie Donley’s long-range shot cannoned off the crossbar and ricocheted into the net off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, giving Orient a surprise lead.
City responded after the break, leveling the score in the 56th minute when Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov deflected a shot from Rico Lewis into his own net, handing Lewis his first goal for City since arriving from Lens in January.
With a Champions League clash against Real Madrid looming just four days away, Guardiola was forced to make changes earlier than expected, but the introduction of Kevin De Bruyne proved pivotal. The Belgian star scored the decisive goal in the 79th minute to secure City’s passage to the next round.
“It was a typical FA Cup tie, that’s why this competition is so special. For the fans, how they supported their team, and we knew they’d be strong,” said Guardiola. “We’ve faced lower-division sides many times in my nine years here, and it’s always tight. But we showed great character to come through.”
However, the victory came at a cost, with £50 million signing Nico Gonzalez forced off with an injury just 22 minutes into his debut.
Meanwhile, Southampton’s woes deepened as they were knocked out by second-tier Burnley in front of their home crowd. Marcus Edwards, making his debut on loan from Sporting Lisbon, scored the only goal of the game in the 77th minute, leaving the Saints rooted to the bottom of the Premier League.
In other FA Cup action, Bournemouth handed Everton a 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park. After Antoine Semenyo converted a 23rd-minute penalty, Dan Jebbison sealed the win with a tap-in before halftime.
Fulham also advanced with a 2-1 win at third-tier Wigan, thanks to a brace from Rodrigo Muniz. Ipswich secured a dominant 4-1 victory over Coventry, while Millwall stunned Leeds 2-0 to reach the fifth round for the first time since 2019.
Chelsea face Brighton later on Saturday, while Newcastle travel to third-tier Birmingham.
