Manchester City travel to Brisbane Road to take on Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday afternoon, with a spot in the next stage on the line.
Manchester City crashed to a 5-1 defeat in the Premier League vs Arsenal, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly when they lock horns with Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road on Saturday afternoon.
The Citizens have endured a disappointing season by their enormousb standards, and they are unlikely to win the Premier League title this term. In addition, Pep Guardiola’s charges have crashed out of the EFL cup, and winning the UEFA Champions League seems like a distant dream as well.
The FA Cup is probably Manchester City’s best chance to win a trophy this season, and they will look to take the competition seriously. City will look to grind out a positive result away from home and book their place in the next round of the competition.
Meanwhile, Leyton Orient will look to pull off a morale-boosting result at home. They will have seen Manchester City’s inconsistencies this season, and it will be interesting to see if they can upset the odds. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the upcoming FA Cup clash between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Leyton Orient
Theo Archibald and Jordan Graham will miss out with knee injuries. Omar Beckles and Sean Clare are sidelined as well. Other than that, Richie Wellens has a fully-fit squad to choose from this weekend.
Leyton Orient are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Manchester City, with Josh Keeley in goal. Ethan Galbraith and Jack Currie will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and hit Manchester City on the break. Brandon Cooper and Dan Happe will start in central defence.
As for the midfield unit, Darren Pratley and Jordan Brown will add defensive cover and physicality to the side from the midfield pivot. They will look to break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Azeem Abdulai and Dilan Markanday will start on the flanks. They will look to add peace and flair from the wide areas. Jamie Donley will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create openings in the final third with his passing and vision. Charlie Kelman will lead the line for Leyton Orient vs Manchester City on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Keeley; Galbraith, Cooper, Happe, Currie; Pratley, Brown; Markanday, Donley, Abdulai; Kelman
Manchester City
The Premier League champions will be without Rodri (ACL), Bobb (leg), Ake (muscle), Dias (groin), and Doku (knock). Pep Guardiola is likely to rotate his troops heavily for this game to keep his charges fresh.
Manchester City are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Leyton Orient, with Stefan Ortega in goal. Matheus Nunes and Josko Gvardiol will start in the full-back areas, and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Manuel Akanji and Abdukodir Khusanov will pair up at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Nico Gonzalez and Ilkay Gundogan will add creativity and composure to the side. James McAtee will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to create goal-scoring opportunities for his teammates.
Savinho and Omar Marmoush will start on the flanks, and they will add goals and creativity from the wide areas. Erling Haaland will lead the line for Manchester City vs Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ortega; Nunes, Akanji, Khusanov, Gvardiol; Gonzalez, Gundogan; Marmoush, McAtee, Savinho; Haaland
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won three of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Leyton Orient have won three of their last six matches in all competitions.
- Leyton Orient have scored nine goals in their last three outings.
- Manchester City have scored 17 goals in the last six matches in all competitions.
- Manchester City have conceded 13 goals in the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Omar Marmoush
The Manchester City winter signing is our key player to watch out for. The Egyptian international has been in impressive form this season in the Bundesliga, and he will look to carry that into English football now. He will look to make his mark here and establish himself as a key player for the club in the coming weeks. Marmoush is more than just a goalscorer, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates as well.
Prediction
Leyton Orient 1-3 Manchester City
Both teams will look to pick up a win here, and this is likely to be an open game with a fair few chances. Manchester City have been quite vulnerable defensively, and they will look to outscore the opposition here. They have enough quality in the attack to punish the home side.
Although Leyton Orient will look to make life difficult for the opposition, the gulf in class between the two sides is substantial, and Manchester City should be able to secure a comfortable victory away from home. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Pep Guardiola and his charges.
