Rayan Cherki found the net as Manchester City swept Norwich aside in a 5-0 League Cup third-round win, with the French attacker helping a heavily rotated side turn the tie into a one-sided night.
City’s reshuffled side takes control
Enzo Maresca made widespread changes for Thursday’s final third-round fixture, but City needed little time to settle against Norwich.
- Floyd Samba opened the scoring in the 29th minute, registering his first senior goal at the age of 17.
- Cherki doubled the advantage three minutes later, making it 2-0 in the 32nd minute.
- Allan Elias, signed from Palmeiras during the summer, struck his first goal for City shortly after half-time.
The 3-0 goal arrived in the 48th minute and removed any remaining doubt from the contest.
Samba takes his chance as Cherki makes an impact
Samba’s breakthrough proved to be more than a fleeting moment. The German teenager added a second goal in the 54th minute to complete his brace and cap an impressive first professional scoring display.
Cherki was replaced later in the match by Ryan McAidoo, who completed the scoring in the 90th minute. The final sequence of goals was:
- Floyd Samba, 29 minutes
- Rayan Cherki, 32 minutes
- Allan Elias, 48 minutes
- Floyd Samba, 54 minutes
- Ryan McAidoo, 90 minutes
Rulli begins with a clean sheet
Former Marseille goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli marked his first Manchester City appearance with a clean sheet, as Norwich failed to find a route back into the match.
City will now host Brighton in the fourth round. Brighton reached that stage after a dramatic 3-2 victory over their local rivals Manchester United.
