Manchester City’s experienced players stepped up to save their younger teammates in the FA Cup match against Leyton Orient, who took the lead with a great goal before City turned it around to win 2-1, advancing to the last 16 of the prestigious competition. The match also saw Egyptian star Omar Marmoush play as a striker.
City, who have reached the FA Cup semi-finals in all but one of Pep Guardiola’s eight previous seasons, were facing a potential shock exit after Jamie Donnelly, on loan from Tottenham, scored with a shot from midfield that hit the crossbar and went into the net behind goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.
The goal marked the first time a Manchester City goalkeeper had scored an own goal in all competitions since Costel Pantilimon did so against West Bromwich Albion in December 2013.
To make things worse, City’s new £50m signing Nico Gonzalez had to leave the match with a back injury on his debut, along with midfielder Vitor Reis, who was substituted in the first half. Guardiola made a series of changes, bringing on John Stones and Abdulkadir Khusanov, followed by De Bruyne and Foden. However, it was Jack Grealish who had the most impact, controlling the game and being involved in both of City’s goals.
Omar Marmoush and the reasons for the difficult start
Omar Marmoush started the match as a centre-forward, a role he is used to, as he had played most of his matches for Eintracht Frankfurt in that position. This was different from the previous games against Chelsea and Arsenal, where he played due to the absence of Erling Haaland.
However, Marmoush struggled to lead the attack, as he was not in sync with his new teammates. His performance was marked by missing three clear chances in the match, especially in the first half, where the goalkeeper of the opponent made some great saves to deny him.
Omar Marmoush’s numbers with Manchester City
| Matches | Minutes | Total Shots | Shots on Target | Chances Created | Touches in Opponent’s Box | Pass Accuracy | Expected Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 236 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 81.25% | 1.2 |
In the three matches Marmoush has played for City, he has taken 8 shots, including 3 on target. While he has not yet scored or assisted, he has contributed by creating 7 chances for his teammates, which is a reasonable and decent figure for an attacking player.
The overall form of Manchester City this season and the dip in the performance of many players have not made it easy for new arrivals like Marmoush. Even Nico Gonzalez, who made his debut in this match, struggled before leaving with an injury.
There is also some inconsistency in Marmoush’s position in the team, as shown by his movement maps. Against Chelsea, he played as an inside winger on the left, while against Arsenal, he played deeper behind Haaland, but drifted left again. In this match, he played as a central striker but often moved to the left and left the central area of the pitch. This lack of stability in his position and role from Guardiola is not helping Marmoush settle in.
However, Marmoush is expected to play a crucial role in City’s upcoming Champions League match against Real Madrid. This is especially true since Real Madrid struggles against players who attack directly and make runs into space, particularly in open matches.
Marmoush is one of Europe’s top players when it comes to starting counter-attacks, thanks to his ability to make vertical runs. This could be a real advantage against Real Madrid, who are currently dealing with significant defensive issues. Marmoush’s speed could also cause problems for the slower Real Madrid defenders.
