Nights like these don’t too come often down in South Wales at Rodney Parade.
The Premier League Champions were in town, and what an event it was. Newport County, sat 15th in League Two hosted Manchester City, the current holders of the top-flight trophy, for a night of FA Cup fifth round action on Saturday.
What many thought might be a whitewash by the Cityzens started with a bit of a scare. Newport were quick out of the blocks in search of a famous FA Cup upset. The Welsh side caused a lot of problems for City from set pieces in the first 20 minutes.
Had it not been for a fantastic stop by City goalkeeper Ederson, the Exiles could have gone ahead. Newport created a handful of good chances which, on another day, could have altered the tie in their favour. It stood all square at 0-0 heading into the break.
However, City took it up a notch in the second half. Goals from Leroy Sane in the 51st minute and Phil Foden in the 75th minute took the tie to 2-0.
Nevertheless, the game took a crazy twist and Newport scored what seemed to bit a flash of hope, when Padraig Amond’s shot looped over Ederson.
No less than a minute later, however, City restored their two-goal advantage when Foden’s second individual effort of the game made it 3-1. Riyad Mahrez confirmed a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals for Pep Guardiola’s side with his fantastic shot in the 94th minute, making it 4-1 to the visitors.
Here are my Three Stars from the game.
EDERSON
The man between the sticks for Man City once again proved why he is so highly rated. Newport County thought they had taken a shock lead in the 14th minute when Tyreeq Bakinson latched onto a loose ball in the box, but Ederson pulled off an unbelievable save from close range to keep the scores level.
Confident on the ball, even when a poor pitch didn’t help him, Ederson kept City in the game despite an unconvincing start. It was a solid performance in a game that he was busier than expected.
PHIL FODEN
A quite phenomenal performance from a young man who has done nothing but impress during his City career so far.
Foden, 18, looked like one of the most experienced players on the pitch at times against Newport. His confidence on the ball is excellent. His ability to drive past two or three players in one burst is a pleasure to watch.
He rarely gave the ball away once City had found their feet in the game and capped it off with two unbelievable goals, showing why he is so vital in cup competitions this season.
With City still in four competitions, squad rotation is essential for Guardiola, and Foden is crucial for City in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. A top display from the man they call ‘The Stockport Iniesta’.
RIYAD MAHREZ
It was the Algerian’s first start for Man City in five games. However, his performance on Saturday could change his inconsistency in the starting 11.
Constantly causing problems for the Newport defence with his tricky feet and quick turn of pace, it was an all-around performance from Mahrez. A slight criticism many City fans have is his failure to find a teammate often when out wide, often opting to shoot instead.
However, with his excellent goal against Newport, Mahrez has now scored 10 and assisted 10 in his City career, proving he can pick out a teammate when it matters, as well as chip in with goals. An impressive performance after being in and out of the side in recent weeks.
