Pep Guardiola praised Phil Foden's 'two incredible goals' after Manchester City overcame a stubborn Newport County 4-1 in the FA Cup fifth round at Rodney Parade on Saturday. The 18-year-old struck twice in the second half to help City progress after a goalless first period.
Guardiola acknowledged the challenges Foden faces breaking into a star-studded midfield. 'Phil's only problem is that he has to compete with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Bernardo Silva,' the City boss said. 'He's a player who is ready to play. Today was a good test for him, and this will be good for him. He learnt a lot and he helped us to win the game with two incredible goals.'
Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez also scored for City, while Padraig Amond netted for Newport two minutes from time to maintain his record of scoring in every round. Foden's second and Mahrez's late strike sealed the win, keeping City's quadruple hopes alive.
Guardiola admitted the match was a tough test against opponents 82 places below them. 'It was really tough. What they do, they do incredibly well,' he said. 'Every free-kick and throw-in is difficult, and we suffered in the first 20 minutes because we needed time to adapt. We finished well and we produced an incredible performance in the second half.'
Newport manager Michael Flynn praised his 'outstanding' players and the class of Guardiola and City. 'Getting to share the touchline with Pep Guardiola was magical for me,' Flynn said. 'He said 'you should be proud, you are doing a fabulous job, and good luck'. Manchester City are such an excellent team. The players are full of class, the manager is full of class.'
