Manchester City look to bounce back from their humbling 5-1 defeat to Arsenal as they travel to League One side Leyton Orient for an FA Cup fourth-round clash on Saturday afternoon.
After a bruising Premier League loss, Pep Guardiola’s men need a morale-boosting win before their massive Champions League play-off first leg against Real Madrid next week. With that in mind, City are expected to rotate heavily, allowing fringe players and new signings to prove their worth.
Can City’s second-string XI cruise past their third-tier opponents, or will Leyton Orient pull off a historic FA Cup upset?
Match Details
📍 Location: London, England
🏟️ Stadium: Brisbane Road
📅 Date: Saturday, 8 February 2025
⏰ Kick-off Time: 12:30 GMT / 07:30 ET / 04:30 PT
👨⚖️ Referee: Darren Bond
📺 VAR: Not in use
Head-to-Head Record (Last 5 Games)
- Leyton Orient Wins: 1
- Man City Wins: 3
- Draws: 1
- Last Meeting: Leyton Orient 2-2 Man City (7 May 1966) – Second Division
Current Form (All Competitions)
Leyton Orient
❌ 0-1 vs Stockport – 01/02/25
✅ 6-2 vs Exeter – 28/01/25
✅ 2-0 vs Reading – 25/01/25
❌ 0-1 vs Stevenage – 21/01/25
🤝 0-0 vs Peterborough – 18/01/25
Man City
❌ 1-5 vs Arsenal – 02/02/25
✅ 3-1 vs Club Brugge – 29/01/25
✅ 3-1 vs Chelsea – 25/01/25
❌ 2-4 vs PSG – 22/01/25
✅ 6-0 vs Ipswich – 19/01/25
Leyton Orient Team News
Richie Wellens’ side will need a miracle to overcome the Premier League champions, and injuries make their task even harder.
🔴 Unavailable Players:
- Jordan Graham (injured)
- Dan Agyei (injured)
- Ollie O’Neill (injured)
- Omar Beckles (injured)
- Sean Clare (injured)
- Jack Simpson (injured)
✅ Possible Debuts:
- Rarmani Edmonds-Green (new January signing)
- Randell Williams (new January signing)
Leyton Orient Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)
GK: Keeley
DEF: Galbraith – Cooper – Happe – Currie
MID: Pratley – Brown
ATT: Markanday – Donley – Abdulai
ST: Kelman
Man City Team News
Pep Guardiola is expected to rest key players with Real Madrid looming in the Champions League knockout stage.
🔴 Unavailable Players:
- Rodri (long-term injury)
- Ruben Dias (injured)
- Nathan Ake (injured)
- Jeremy Doku (injured)
- Ederson (doubtful)
✅ Possible Debuts:
- Vitor Reis (January signing)
- Nico Gonzalez (January signing)
- Oscar Bobb (returning from a six-month injury layoff)
⚠️ Expected Rotations:
Guardiola will likely field a heavily rotated lineup, giving opportunities to James McAtee, Nico O’Reilly, and Divin Mubama to impress.
Man City Predicted Lineup (4-1-4-1)
GK: Ortega
DEF: Lewis – Khusanov – Reis – O’Reilly
MID: Gonzalez
ATT: Savinho – McAtee – Gundogan – Grealish
ST: Mubama
Match Prediction
Even with wholesale changes, Man City’s squad is vastly superior to League One’s Leyton Orient. Guardiola’s men thrashed Salford City 8-0 in the previous round and should comfortably progress to the FA Cup fifth round.
Orient might snatch a consolation goal if City’s inexperienced defense shows vulnerability, but the Premier League giants should dominate proceedings from start to finish.
Prediction: Leyton Orient 1-4 Man City
⚽ Will City’s youngsters shine, or can Leyton Orient pull off a fairytale FA Cup upset? Let us know your thoughts! 💬🔥
