FA Cup roundup: Manchester City sleepwalks past fourth-division side, Cole scores first FA Cup goal in loss

Manchester City is the defending Premier League champion, a Champions League favorite and one of the world’s biggest spenders. Newport County, to be generous, is none of that.

City seemed to know it right from the opening whistle and won their FA Cup clash 4-1 on Saturday at Rodney Parade in Wales.

Elsewhere, longtime Premier League defender Ashley Cole scored the first FA Cup goal of his career in Derby County’s 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, while Millwall ended third-tier AFC Wimbledon’s run with an early goal in a 1-0 win.

Man City untroubled by League Two denizens in Newport

Even away to an unfamiliar foe on a beat-up pitch, City dispatched Newport County with a by-the-numbers performance.

A scoreless first half gave way Leroy Sane breaking the deadlock in the 51st minute, finishing a Gabriel Jesus pass first-time from a tight angle:

Sane was one of several City mainstays who started, along with Jesus, David Silva, Fernandinho, Nicoles Otamendi and John Stones.

City youth product Phil Foden scored twice, including the second goal on an assist by Jesus in the 75th minute. Newport County, however, punished City’s lazy defending in the 88th minute as Padraig Amond gave the hosts a glimmer of hope:

Foden barely wasted any time quieting the fervor around the ground:

Riyad Mahrez added the fourth goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

City is trying to win its first FA Cup since 2011, a trophy viewed by many as a launchpad to the club’s recent Premier League and European success. In the intervening years, City has only progressed past the quarterfinals twice, once when it suffered a shock defeat to relegation-bound Wigan in the 2013 final and again two years ago when it lost to Arsenal in the semifinals.

While currently 15th in the League Two table, Newport County made the deepest FA Cup run of any fourth-tier side in this season’s competition.

Ashley Cole’s header not enough for Derby County

Ashley Cole has been a professional since 1999. He’s won the FA Cup seven times. He’s now played 49 matches in the competition.

And somehow, he had never scored in it.

At least until Saturday, when his 81st-minute header gave Derby some life at Brighton & Hove Albion:

Derby was unable to find an equalizer, and Brighton is off to the FA Cup quarterfinals thanks to first-half goals from Anthony Knockaert and Jurgen Locadia.

The Seagulls have never won the FA Cup and came closest in 1983, losing the final replay against Manchester United. They also reached the quarterfinals last season, again losing to United.

For its part, Derby County can now focus on joining Brighton in the Premier League. Managed by Cole’s longtime Chelsea teammate Frank Lampard, the Rams are seventh in the second-tier Championship, and the teams that finish third through sixth in the table enter a playoff for the third and final promotion spot.

Early goal enough to see Millwall past frenemy Wimbledon

In the previous round, third-division Wimbledon scored one of the biggest upsets of this year’s FA Cup by knocking out Premier League side West Ham.

West Ham also happens to be Millwall’s blood rival. So while Millwall was undeniably happy with Wimbledon the past couple weeks, business was business on Saturday.

Murray Wallace headed home Ryan Leonard’s cross five minutes in for the game’s only goal:

Thus far Millwall is the only non-Premier League team to reach the quarters, though Championship sides Bristol City, Swansea City and Brentford, as well as League One Doncaster Rovers, have a chance to do the same on Sunday.

Joey Gulino is the editor of Yahoo Soccer and moonlights as a writer. Follow him on Twitter at @JGulinoYahoo.

More from Yahoo Sports:

• Is Anthony Davis willing to play for the Celtics after all?
• Wetzel: Colin Kaepernick beat the NFL, but owners might not care
• Daytona 500 preview: Storylines, best bets, lineup and more
• Low blow ends MMA main event in just 15 seconds