Manchester City stayed in the hunt for the quadruple with a 4-1 win over Newport County in their FA Cup fifth-round clash at Rodney Parade this evening.
The League Two hosts held the Premier League champions at bay until the 51st minute when Leroy Sane's shot had too much power for County goalkeeper Joe Day.
Pep Guardiola's side moved into a two-goal lead on 75 minutes when Phil Foden carried the ball from the halfway line before shooting through Day from 20 yards out.
Newport grabbed an 88th-minute lifeline through Padraig Amond but goals from Foden and Riyad Mahrez late on ensured that City would not become their latest scalp.
Relive all of the action from Wales with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Manchester City put six past Chelsea at the weekend, so what chance do League Two Newport County have in this evening's FA Cup fifth round clash at Rodney Parade? At best, a fighter's chance but could that be all they need to pull off one of the biggest upsets in competition history?
NEWPORT: Day, Butler, Demetriou, O'Brien, Bennett, Poole, Bakinson, Labadie, Willmott, Matt, Amond
Subs: Townsend, Pipe, Franks, Dolan, Marsh-Brown, Sheehan, McKirdy
Subs: Townsend, Pipe, Franks, Dolan, Marsh-Brown, Sheehan, McKirdy
MAN CITY: Ederson, Zinchenko, Stones, Otamendi, Danilo, Fernandinho, Sane, Silva, Foden, Mahrez, Gabriel Jesus
Subs: Muric, Laporte, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Sterling, Bernardo
Subs: Muric, Laporte, Walker, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Sterling, Bernardo
KICKOFF: While Pep Guardiola makes seven changes from their demolition of the Blues, David Silva, Leroy Sane, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus all start in an enviable second string, while Phil Foden gets an opportunity to impress for the first time since City's last domestic cup outing. Newport boss Mike Flynn names the same team which started the replay win over Middlesbrough. Goalkeeper Joe Day rushed off the pitch that night to go straight to hospital following the birth of his twin daughters. Strikers Jamille Matt and Padraig Amond have 30 goals between them this term.
Mickey Demetriou swings in a cross from deep which Ederson claims off his line. The Brazilian will have plenty of that to deal with today.
Pep has made it clear to his players this week that any player who does not take the challenge of Newport seriously will not make the Champions League trip to Germany to face Schalke. You'd have thought Mahrez is one of those he is calling out. The Algerian's first contribution is a corner which is cleared.
Otamendi is caught out of position and that allows Amond, the joint top-scorer in this season's competition with four goals, to run onto a hopeful long ball into the right channel. Ederson and Stones combine to thwart the Irishman and bail out Otamendi.
SAVE! A lovely piece of skill by Mahrez takes him past Dan Butler in Newport's left-back position. He fizzes a shot across goal from a tight angle and goalkeeper Day has to stick out a leg to prevent the ball possibly sneaking into the bottom corner.
There was some talk that this Rodney Parade pitch would act as the great equaliser, but it isn't in as bad a condition as speculated, which is actually at the disadvantage of the home side. It is far from the Etihad but City have been able to string some possession together without many demons surfacing.
Fernandinho pinches the ball from Tyreeq Bakinson in the Newport half but can't follow up with a decent shot as he drags wide from 25 yards out.
SAVE! Newport come within inches of an opening goal as a long throw is flicked on to Bakinson at the back post, and Ederson has to be at full stretch to push his header away from six yards out. Bakinson perhaps should have scored but it wasn't easy to generate power on the header.
Regan Poole, on loan from Manchester United, will be particularly keen to leave his stamp on this game, but is guilty of a wayward pass here and City could have punished him on the break. Foden cannot bring Silva's pass under control.
SHOT! Fernandinho lines up another shot from distance but this one is wide on the other side of the goal, a horrible slice which flew into the temporary stand at Rodney Parade.
Newport do look a threat here, especially from set pieces. Again Matt gets above Stones from a throw-in and the ball drops for Labadie, who cannot keep down a difficult left-footed volley on the spin.
Mahrez gets the better of Butler again on the right edge of the penalty area, this time cutting back onto his left foot for a shot which is parried by Day and then hoofed away by Demetriou.
The Citizens have won their two previous FA Cup games by an aggregate of 12-0 so Newport will be delighted to have kept them out for 22 minutes.
The one City outfield player to have started this game in top gear is Mahrez, who collects a pass from Silva and quickly shifts the ball onto his left foot for a 25-yard curler which had Day scrambling but went past the post. The Algerian is yet to start a Premier League game in 2019 so seems keen to prove a point.
Zinchenko knocks a fantastic cross in behind the Newport defence but Jesus can't get away from his marker O'Brien. Mahrez recycles the ball but his cutback for Foden is picked off by Labadie.
The offside flag goes up against Sane but Demetriou was playing him onside. The German was halted by the flag just as he was threatening to get a shot away inside the penalty area.
Newport cannot afford to make any mistakes today against this calibre of opposition. A poor pass from Bennett gifts the ball to Silva and he runs into the box dangerously before being surrounded by defenders.
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County captain O'Brien is lucky to get away with an off-the-ball block on Sane in which he shoved his elbow into the throat of the flying winger. There is making it a physical battle, and then there is that.
OFF THE BAR! Silva and Sane cut Newport apart with a one-two at the end of which the German lifts a shot above Day but it glances off the crossbar and out. That is City's best move of the match so far and the closest they have come.
The hosts will be delighted with how things are going at present, but a word of warning. Tranmere Rovers held Spurs at 0-0 up to this point in a third-round clash earlier this season, and went on to lose 7-0.
Jesus us clattered from behind by O'Brien so little Phil Foden takes revenge by taking out the much bigger Labadie. Referee Andre Marriner punishes the first offence so it is a free kick to City.
County will be desperate to get into half time now still on parity. A goal conceded now woul be a tough blow to take.
City cut through Newport brilliantly through Mahrez, Foden and Silva but a bobble from the pitch prevents the Spaniard from having a go at sweeping home from eight yards out. His layoff to Sane is intercepted by O'Brien who is really putting himself about.
PENALTY APPEAL! Nervy moments for Newport as the half winds down. Sane creates room for a shot inside the box and it is blocked by the arm of O'Brien who gets away with a clear handball. Moments later, Danilo nearly catches out Day with an early strike which drifts a few yards wide.
Fernandinho attacks a corner at the near post but gets too much on his flick which goes straight behind for a goal kick.
HALF TIME: NEWPORT 0-0 MAN CITY
Few would have bet on this half-time scoreline at Rodney Parade, and it is no less than what Newport deserve. They have held their own for much of this half and even had the best chance when Ederson denied Tyreeq Bakinson's back-post header. County may have City worried at this point.
Few would have bet on this half-time scoreline at Rodney Parade, and it is no less than what Newport deserve. They have held their own for much of this half and even had the best chance when Ederson denied Tyreeq Bakinson's back-post header. County may have City worried at this point.
The Newport fans were revelling in the big-game atmosphere before kick-off and their team is doing them proud so far.
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At this time in their encounter with Chelsea last weekend, the Citizens were 4-0 up. A certain Sergio Aguero was influential in that scoreline and is not available to the visitors today, not even from the bench. Guardiola does have Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne to call upon if needed though.
The Welsh outfit will have been relieved to hear the half-time whistle as there were some signs that their monumental first-half effort was catching up with them towards the break. City were starting to push them back and hit the crossbar through Sane. I anticipate the visitors will come out flying for the second.
VAR is in use in the FA Cup this season, but not at Rodney Parade today as there is not the facility to implement the technology. That is just as well for Newport, as I am sure that the video referee would have awarded City a penalty for handball against Mark O'Brien two minutes prior to the interval.
The longer that Newport can keep the game at 0-0, the better. It sounds strange, but a County goal early in the second half may spring City into life so the League Two outfit would ideally not want to lead until 70 minutes or so, if they are to pull this off. Of course, every single minute they stay on level terms with this world-class opposition is an achievement.
KICKOFF: We are back underway at Rodney Parade with both sides unchanged for now. Can Newport rediscover their energy from the opening half an hour or are City going to come out and end this fairytale swiftly?
I guess here is our answer. Poole steals the ball from Sane on the edge of his own box before charging halfway up the field, taking on three City players en route. His pass to Amond is awry but it is a great run from the youngster which brings the crowd to their feet.
Newport have a mini spell of pressure but it doesn't fall to Matt or Amond in the box and Ederson relieves the danger with an authoratative claim off his line.
GOAL! NEWPORT 0-1 MAN CITY (LEROY SANE)
Newport's brave resolve is broken and it is Leroy Sane who has come up with the goal. Jesus feeds the German on the overlap, into the left side of the area, and there is simply too much power on the shot for Day to handle. The goalkeeper gets two hands to it but it squeezes through his grasp and over the line.
At first glance that might look like a goalkeeping error, but Sane struck that with such ferocity from point-blank range. So hard was it hit that Day has been left with a bloody nose, partially blocking it with his hand before a deflection off his face took it over the line.
SAVE! Day wipes himself off to push a hard and low hit from Danilo around his post for a corner.
OFF THE POST! City are really coming at Newport now and have hit the woodwork for a second time. Jesus weights another perfect return pass into the path of Danilo whose drive towards the near post is blocked by Day, against the frame of the goal.
This is a really important few minutes for Newport. They just need to find a way of hanging in there as a City second may kill them off.
This is a really important few minutes for Newport. They just need to find a way of hanging in there as a City second may kill them off.
SUBSTITUTION: Newport boss Mike Flynn makes his first change, replacing Tyreeq Bakinson who came so close to an opening goal early on, with Josh Sheehan whose cross supplied the equaliser against Middlesbrough.
The Citizens are playing some eye-catching football now, the whole of the second period thus far has basically been played in the Newport half. This is how we expected things to go from the beginning, but while it is only one goal the hosts will live in hope.
Foden is having a decent game for the Citizens. He has not been phased by Newport's physical approach and has played his part in some nice moves.
CLOSE! The pitch nearly assists an equaliser for Newport, with a bobble forcing Ederson leaving a pass to Stones short and having to race out of his area to deny Matt the opportunity to capitalise. The Brazilian was perhaps guilty of being too relaxed and it could have dropped easily to the Newport striker.
SUBSTITUTION: A second change for Newport is another one designed to provide fresh legs in midfield as Matt Dolan replaces Labadie.
Guardiola may be forced into a change of his own here with Otamendi having been left limping by an Amond tackle which caught him on the ankle.
CHANCE! A free kick conceded by Foden allows Newport to load the box and Robbie Willmot's delivery reaches O'Brien at the back post. He tries to head it back across Ederson but the goalkeeper moves smoothly across his line to catch the effort.
GOAL! NEWPORT 0-2 MAN CITY (PHIL FODEN)
Newport's fairytale does not look like it is going to have a happy ending, because City have scored a second. It is a goal all of Phil Foden's making, as he skips past a challenge on the halfway line before dribbling with the ball to the edge of the box, cutting inside another defender and getting off a shot which squeezes under Day. It is a fine solo effort but again the Newport keeper may feel he could have done better.
City are in complete control now but the Newport fans are continuing to enjoy the occasion. A goal for County now really would make their day even if it doesn't yield a positive result.
SUBSTITUTION: Aymeric Laporte is coming on for the last 11 minutes or so here, but it is not Otamendi who is replaced after that earlier knock. Instead, Guardiola chooses to rest Fernandinho's legs ahead of a busy run of fixtures. He is so crucial to the way City play.
SUBSTITUTION: Guardiola is in preservation mode now as Ilkay Gundogan comes on for David Silva.
Stones has moved into midfield since Fernandinho was sacrificed and he is guilty of giving the ball away in his own half. Sheehan can't quite take advantage as Stones recovers to make a tackle on the edge of the box.
SAVE! Day takes another one in the nose blocking from Sane, who tried to chip the goalkeeper from eight yards out after the ball broke kindly to him.
There is some tired legs out there now for Newport. They have done a lot of ball chasing in this second half especially and it has taken its toll.
GOAL! NEWPORT 1-2 MAN CITY (PADRAIG AMOND)
Could we be in for a dramatic finish here? A long ball undoes City as Laporte makes the mess of a header, and Amond gets his foot to the bouncing ball before Otamendi does, lifting it over Ederson who was in no man's land! Poor defending from the visitors and Newport have a lifeline! They couldn't could they?
GOAL! NEWPORT 1-3 MAN CITY (PHIL FODEN)
Newport's lifeline lasts all of 71 seconds as Foden adds a second, another wonderful goal from the youngster, to kill the dream once and for all. Sane wins the ball in the County half and Foden carries it 30 yards before shooting beyond Day into the top corner. That Newport goal just made City angry!
There will be four minutes of stoppage time here. I hope we've seen the end of the scoring as a fourth would be harsh on Newport.
Sane hits a 30-yard free kick against the wall and out for a corner. That might just about be that in terms of goalmouth action.
GOAL! NEWPORT 1-4 MAN CITY (RIYAD MAHREZ)
City do have a fourth as Riyad Mahrez gets a goal his performance arguably deserves. It is a delightful assist from Stones who picks out the Algerian's run with a lifed pass from which Mahrez thrashes past Day at his near post.
FULL TIME: NEWPORT 1-4 MAN CITY
The final scoreline flatters Man City but if finishes 4-1 at Rodney Parade as Newport's glorious FA Cup run comes to an end. You can read our match report on the action here. Thanks for joining us today. Until next time, goodbye.
The final scoreline flatters Man City but if finishes 4-1 at Rodney Parade as Newport's glorious FA Cup run comes to an end. You can read our match report on the action here. Thanks for joining us today. Until next time, goodbye.
