Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma sent Chelsea crashing out of the FA Cup with a stunning 2-1 victory in the fourth round, while Manchester City narrowly escaped defeat with a 2-1 win at third-tier Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Chelsea, who have not won a domestic trophy since lifting the FA Cup in 2018, saw their hopes dashed after a poor performance at the Amex Stadium. Enzo Maresca’s side took an early lead in the 5th minute when Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen fumbled a cross from Cole Palmer into his own net. However, Chelsea failed to capitalize on their advantage.
After a 7-0 drubbing at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League the previous weekend, Brighton bounced back in impressive fashion. They equalized in the 12th minute, with Joel Veltman crossing to Georginio Rutter, who found space in the Chelsea box and flicked a header past Chelsea defenders Trevoh Chalobah and Tosin Adarabioyo.
The Seagulls completed their comeback in the 57th minute when Mitoma clipped a deft finish past Robert Sanchez despite Chelsea’s claims for a handball. Chelsea’s coach Maresca commented, “I think the handball is quite clear. Without VAR, it’s complicated. We had a few chances at 2-1, but you have to accept the result.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City were rocked at Brisbane Road when a long-range strike from Jamie Donley struck the crossbar and deflected into the goal off City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to give Leyton Orient an early lead. However, City equalized in the 56th minute when Abdukodir Khusanov deflected a shot from Rico Lewis into the back of the net, marking his first goal since joining City in January.
City coach Pep Guardiola was forced to make more changes than expected, with the team preparing for a massive Champions League clash against Real Madrid just days later. The introduction of Kevin De Bruyne proved crucial, as he scored an 11th-hour winner for City to secure a 2-1 victory.
The FA Cup served up plenty of drama this weekend, with surprise results and memorable moments, as lower league sides pushed Premier League giants to their limits.