On Saturday night, Michael Flynn’s brave Newport County team saw their FA Cup run come to an end at the hands of Manchester City, losing 4-1 to the Premier League champions at Rodney Parade.
On reflection, the scoreline may well have been slightly cruel against the League Two side, who conceded twice in the final minutes of the match as City put the game to bed once and for all after Padraig Amond gave the hosts a glimmer of hope.
Few were expecting an upset, with Newport priced at 35/1 to get the win against one of the top sides in Europe, who now go onto face Schalke on Wednesday night in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
Next up for Newport is a slightly less glamorous trip away to League Two strugglers Notts County at Meadow Lane, with the Welsh team looking to get their promotion hopes back on track.
What many people wouldn’t have known is that Saturday’s FA Cup tie brought together an unlikely reunion between a member in each of the team’s dugouts. Newport manager Michael Flynn and Manchester City coach Mikel Arteta both studied for their Pro Licence coaching badge alongside each other, becoming part of a WhatsApp group in doing so alongside some of their fellow students.
They include Arsenal legends Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg, as well as Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders and Welsh Premier League coaches Andy Morrison and Colin Caton of Connah's Quay Nomads and Bala Town respectively.
