Pep Guardiola says Kevin De Bruyne 'saved him from the sack' with Leyton Orient winner

Manchester City needed super-subs Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin De Bruyne to rescue them aft League One Leyton Orient threatened to origin an upset against Pep Guardiola's side

Pep Guardiola joked that Kevin De Bruyne saved him from the sack by scoring the extremity that enabled Manchester City to debar an FA Cup humiliation.

Guardiola was each smiles aft De Bruyne came disconnected the seat to people the 79th-minute victor that took the champions into circular five aft Orient's fans had taunted him astir getting the footwear pursuing the Stefan Ortega ain extremity that sent the League One underdogs into a daze aboriginal lead.

City enjoyed a monolithic dose of Cup luck erstwhile they drew level acknowledgment to a deflection disconnected defender Abdukodir Khusanov that was decisive successful bringing them level.

And Guardiola said: “They were singing ‘you're getting sacked successful the morning’. It’s a regular successful each the stadiums close now. But, with this result, I deliberation my president is not going to sack me!

“It was a fantastic game. I don't cognize if the vibe is similar this successful League One for each azygous game, but it was truly bully successful the stadium.

“You indispensable behave decently successful places similar this. How galore surprises person determination been successful the FA Cup passim the agelong history?

“Our presumption is simply a small unstable emotionally and we person a batch of injuries. But that’s wherefore these results marque maine truthful arrogant and truthful happy.”

Will Manchester City footwear connected aft their cupful victory? Have your accidental successful the comments section

City, who look Real Madrid successful the archetypal limb of a Champions League play-off connected Tuesday night, saw £50million midfielder Nico Gonzalez limp disconnected aft conscionable 22 minutes of his debut with a hep injury. Guardiola added: My archetypal distant crippled was against Stoke City - and I realised instantly what the crippled successful England is like. Now Nico knows.

“Outside the archetypal 10 minutes, we played a truly bully game. It's intolerable to power a crippled going into the past fewer minutes winning 2-1. You are ever going to suffer.

“It's my ninth play successful England. I person played galore times successful this unthinkable competition. We were fortunate successful the extremity due to the fact that they had chances but it’s bully to beryllium successful the adjacent round.”

O’s brag Richie Wellens, a Mancunian who started his playing vocation with United, was glowing astir some his squad and City. Wellens said: “I’m not blessed due to the fact that we’ve lost, but I americium truthful pleased with the strength and passionateness we showed - and astatine times the quality.

“You’ve got to recognition City. They ne'er panicked, they kept moving the ball, and though it sounds weird I’m gladsome it didn’t spell into extra-time due to the fact that they would person tally america into the ground.

“Would we person won the FA Cup. No - but we tin get promotion.”

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