Leyton Orient vs Manchester City: FA Cup 4th Round Preview and Prediction
Manchester City travel to Brisbane Road tomorrow to face Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round, with one eye firmly on their Champions League play-off first leg against Real Madrid next Tuesday.
After their humbling defeat by Arsenal last Sunday, and with the likelihood of fielding a weakened team, could ‘The O’s’ pull off a shock and add to the English champions' season of ever-diminishing returns?
Man City’s recent run of decent league form came to a crashing halt last time out at the Emirates Stadium. Although they are playing a team two levels below them in the English football pyramid, they could struggle under the expectation that they should easily defeat their League One opponents.
Previous FA Cup Matches
It has been nearly sixty-two years since these teams last met, playing out a draw in the old English Second Division, so this match provides a fresh challenge for both. In their FA Cup 2nd Round games, Orient overcame Derby County on penalties, while Man City steamrolled Salford City, running out 8-0 winners.
Man City are still on course to make their third FA Cup final in a row, having won the 2022/23 edition against Manchester United before being beaten last season in the same fixture. Leyton Orient will be looking to reach the fifth round for the first time since the 2010/11 season, when Arsenal dispatched them 5-0 in a replay after drawing 1-1 at Brisbane Road.
Team News and Players to Watch
Orient are without defenders Sean Clare and Omar Beckles due to injury, with Jordan Graham, Ollie O'Neill, Jack Simpson and Dan Agyei also set to miss out. Azeem Abdulai and Charlie Kelman will be on Man City’s radar of players to look out for, with Abdulai hitting the ground running since his move to Orient last month from Swansea City, and Kelman being the hero of the previous round shootout win over Derby County.
City are likely to make wholesale changes ahead of their Champions League clash, with the potential of new signings Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis starting at the back. The side still boasts incredible talent, with James McAtee looking to build on his hat-trick heroics against Salford in the 2nd Round. Jack Grealish will also be eager to put in a strong performance after being an unused substitute against Arsenal.
How to Watch and Kick-Off time
The game will be shown live on BBC One and on the BBC Sport website in the United Kingdom, kicking off at 12.15pm. If you are outside the UK, please check local listings for broadcaster and kick-off times.
Prediction
With the bonus of having home advantage and their opponent’s tendency to become ponderous under pressure, Orient will feel that this is a game in which they can create an upset if they stick to their guns and play the high-press, free-flowing football that has brought them so much success this season.
However, if they cannot get the first goal, I can only see Man City winning this one, as they have the talent to absorb any pressure and outlast their opponents physically. My prediction is a hard-earned Man City win.