Manchester City cruised into the next round of the League Cup with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Norwich City. A rotated side featuring several squad players delivered a dominant performance at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday night.
Floyd Samba opened the scoring after 29 minutes, finishing a move created by Allan Andrade Elias. Rayan Cherki doubled the lead just three minutes later, converting an assist from Ayyoub Bouaddi. The Brazilian midfielder Allan Andrade Elias then turned scorer early in the second half, finding the net from Rayan Aït-Nouri's pass.
Samba completed his brace nine minutes after the restart, again set up by Aït-Nouri. Substitute Ryan McAidoo added a fifth in the final minute, with Nico O'Reilly providing the assist. The result extends City's winning run to five matches in all competitions, a sequence that includes a key Premier League win at Manchester United last weekend. This recent form, with five consecutive victories, demonstrates the team's momentum as they continue to chase the top of the standings.
Manager Pep Guardiola made eleven changes from the side that won at Old Trafford, handing starts to goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli and defenders Rico Lewis, Alibek Khusanov and Vitor Nunes. Mateo Kovačić anchored a midfield that controlled the tempo throughout. Norwich, who made five substitutions of their own in the second half, rarely threatened the City goal. Guardiola's extensive rotation highlights the impressive depth of the City squad, which was on full display.
The win provides a positive start to a busy period for the club, who sit second in the Premier League with four wins from four. The comprehensive nature of the victory also offers a clear view of the squad's depth, which will be tested across multiple competitions in the coming weeks. The team's next challenge is a Premier League fixture against Aston Villa, a match where they will aim to maintain their perfect league start and continue building on their current goal of averaging 2.5 goal minutes per game, a target they surpassed in this rout.
Manager Enzo Maresca confirmed that Floyd Samba's two-goal performance in the 5-0 win over Norwich came in his senior debut. Maresca said the 17-year-old is "not a 9 for sure" but praised his finishing after a late positional switch in training. Samba himself called the debut "mind blowing." The victory, which sets up a last-16 tie against Brighton, was City's sixth consecutive win in all competitions. The club, second in the Premier League with 12 points from four games, next host Sunderland.
Floyd Samba has revealed he sees himself as a box-to-box midfielder, not a striker. The 17-year-old, who scored twice on his senior debut in the 5-0 win over Norwich, told the club he models his game on Paul Pogba and was surprised to play up front. Manager Enzo Maresca has kept Samba in the first-team group, with the club second in the Premier League with 12 points from four games.
Manchester City host Sunderland on Sunday, September 20. The club, second in the Premier League with 12 points from four games, are on a five-game winning run. Their last result was a 5-0 victory over Norwich in the League Cup.
