FA Cup: City sleepwalks past fourth-division side

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Manchester City powered into the FA Cup quarter-finals as the Premier League leaders survived a battling display from Newport County to beat the fourth-tier minnows 4-1 on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's side didn't have an easy ride against a team 82 places below them in League Two.

"It was a really tough game. We opened the scoring in the game and believed it was done. They showed us how incredible they are and a big compliment for them," Guardiola said.

The gulf between the clubs is enormous, with Newport's squad costing just 50,000 pounds and City's totaling 450 million pounds.

But Newport had already knocked out Premier League side Leicester and Championship outfit Middlesbrough in the previous two rounds.

Players of Newport County and Manchester City battle for the ball during the FA Cup fifth round match at Rodney Parade, Newport. February 16, 2019. /VCG Photo

"The home crowd was amazing, winning here, I understand English football today better than ever and how tough the cup is in these conditions," Guardiola added.

With their Champions League last 16 first leg against Schalke to come on Wednesday, followed by the League Cup final against Chelsea, Guardiola made seven changes to the side which hammered Chelsea 6-0 last weekend.

"You play League Two then Champions League. You have to adapt and change mentality and that means a lot to grow like as a team. The big mistake is believing you are better than anyone."

Derby County's Ashley Cole celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, Brighton moved into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the second successive season as goals from Anthony Knockaert and Jurgen Locadia clinched a 2-1 win over Derby.

Former Chelsea and England defender Ashley Cole scored his first ever goal in the FA Cup. The 38-year-old substitute, who had not scored in English football since 2012, joined Derby in January following his release by LA Galaxy.

(With input from AFP and Reuters)