Rico Lewis' reaction speaks volumes after being asked whether 'the whole nation' wants Man City to lose matches

Rico Lewis' reaction to being asked whether 'the whole nation' wants Manchester City to lose matches has gone viral.

Lewis was speaking to BBC Sport after City defeated League One side Leyton Orient 2-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The full-back played the full 90 minutes at Brisbane Road as Orient went ahead in the first half before a second half City comeback.

Goals from Abdukodir Khusanov and Kevin De Bruyne were enough to see Pep Guardiola's side into the fourth round - but it still wasn't the performance that the Spaniard would surely have been hoping for.

England international Lewis was on post-match media duty following the victory - and a question by BBC pundit and former Brighton and Crystal Palace star Glenn Murray was one he wouldn't have been expecting.

Murray noted to the 20-year-old that City have got 'probably the whole nation wanting you to get beat'.

Micah Richards interjected by stating: "You're probably exaggerating a bit!"

Presenter Alex Scott tried to diffuse the situation by adding in: "Don't mind these two!"

But Lewis did respond to Murray's question - and his answer might surprise fans.

He said: "Yeah, to be fair I think you're right. I think everyone does want us to get beat. Apart from City fans, of course!

"The whole nation wanted City to lose.. apart from City fans."

Rico Lewis: "To be fair, I think you're right." pic.twitter.com/zTlhZoD9cT

— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) February 8, 2025

"But yeah, I think there's pressure on our shoulders every game. The lads in the dressing room are used to doing it.

"It was a different circumstance here, a different game. But I think everyone just settled their heads at half-time, got on the ball, and we know how good we are on the ball."

In his post-match press conference, meanwhile, showed his respect for the League One side for their performance at Brisbane Road.

"In my nine years in England we've played many times against lower division teams in this incredible competition," he began. "The vibe, the crowd and everything. You play in FA Cup and you don't find it in many other places [countries].

"We were lucky at the end because they create chances. But we created a lot, and their goalkeeper was really good.

"It was a tight game, but we knew it would be with the [style] that they have. We played with character and we are in the next round, and it's always nice."