Rico Lewis has insisted that Manchester City are taking the FA Cup very seriously this season after edging past Leyton Orient to reach the last 16.
Out of the EFL Cup and sitting 15 points behind Liverpool in the Premier League, the FA Cup looks like City’s best hope of serious silverware in 2025.
But those hopes were tested at Brisbane Road on Saturday when City were losing 1-0 against League One opposition at half-time thanks to a stunning 45-yard strike by Jamie Donley, whose shot found the net via the crossbar and then the back of keeper Stefan Ortega.
City fought back to win 2-1 courtesy of second-half strikes from Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin De Bruyne.
Lewis later revealed that City manager Pep Guardiola had been relatively calm at half-time.
‘Pep wasn’t going mad at half-time,’ Lewis told reporters. ‘We just said, “keep our heads”. Credit to Orient, they made it so difficult for us to play.
Rico Lewis played the full 90 minutes as Man City came from behind to win 2-1 at Leyton Orient
City boss Pep Guardiola pictured celebrating in front of the away fans after Saturday’s game
‘We all know these games are so difficult to play, especially away. The crowd were right up for it.’
On whether City’s players were doubting themselves after falling behind, Lewis added: ‘I don’t say doubt. At the end of the day it’s Man City and the standards are so high, we’ve got enough leadership to push us through to the end.
‘Going from attack to defence is very difficult because there’s a lot of ground to cover. It’s all about trust.’
City are now potentially just four more wins away from winning the FA Cup.
Lewis continued: ‘I think the FA Cup is massive.
‘The season’s not panned out how we wanted it to. Now the transfer window’s closed it’s a new season for us. I think everyone does want us to get beat.’
