Manchester City began their Carabao Cup defence with a comfortable 5-0 win over Norwich at the Etihad, a night in which Enzo Maresca’s reshuffled side took a while to settle before the academy boys and newer faces made the difference.
City lifted the trophy last season after beating Arsenal in the final, and Maresca used the opening tie of this campaign to turn over his squad. Rayan Cherki was the only player retained from the starting XI used in the Manchester derby. Gerónimo Rulli came in in goal, Vitor Reis started at centre-back and Allan was given a place out wide, while Floyd Samba, born in 2009, made his senior competitive debut.
The changes initially showed. City moved the ball too slowly and gave Norwich a few loose possessions that might have brought trouble against sharper opposition. Rico Lewis did go close inside the opening 10 minutes, firing a first-time angled effort over after Samba had laid the ball back smartly, but clear chances were scarce.
Then, on 28 minutes, the game turned. Norwich goalkeeper Grimshaw misjudged an aerial ball and Samba threw himself forward to head Allan’s delivery into the net. It was an ideal first goal for the young forward, and a promising first contribution from Allan.
City struck again before the interval. Samba again played his part with his back to goal, setting up Bouaddi to release Cherki into space. The French playmaker finished to double the lead and took his direct involvement in goals to five at the start of the season.
Maresca was comfortable enough to remove Cherki at half-time and introduce Ryan McAidoo, another highly rated academy prospect, born in 2008. The manager’s faith in the wider group was rewarded almost immediately after the restart as Allan scored City’s third. The summer arrival from Palmeiras received the ball near the corner of the penalty area, beat his man on the outside and drove a fierce shot inside the near post.
Allan’s place in the pecking order may presently sit behind Jérémy Doku, Antoine Semenyo and Ndiaye, but this was an emphatic audition. Norwich, already struggling to stay in the contest, then gifted Samba his second goal with a dreadful error while playing out from the back.
There was no need for City to chase the game after that, particularly with Sunderland awaiting this weekend, but McAidoo still had time to complete the scoring and make it five. For Maresca, it was a straightforward passage secured without asking too much of the regular starters.
Fourth-round draw takes shape
The competition is moving quickly towards the fourth round, with all ties set for the week beginning 26 October. The final remains a distant appointment at Wembley on 21 March 2027, but only 16 clubs are left and just three of them are outside the Premier League.
The standout tie pits Liverpool against Chelsea, with friends Andoni Iraola and Xabi Alonso set to occupy opposing technical areas. City will face Brighton, who reached this stage by knocking out Manchester United, while last season’s beaten finalists Arsenal have been drawn against League Two side Fleetwood.
