While Man City’s inability to recruit a backup striker left lingering questions over an otherwise successful summer transfer window, 17-year-old Floyd Samba provided an immediate answer from the academy by scoring twice on his senior debut to headline a convincing Carabao Cup victory over Norwich.
Allan: Manchester City's newest attacking recruit!
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With Erling Haaland rested and in the stands at the Etihad Stadium, Samba offered unexpected goal threat, being a native central midfielder, but opened the scoring after 29 minutes by stabbing a well-taken header into the far corner of Dan Grimshaw’s goal.
Here, everything came naturally to Samba, whose performance suggested he had played in a professional light for years, especially when he secured his brace - cutting inside and bending a spectacular right-footed shot into the far corner.
On paper, Enzo Maresca’s side held every natural advantage heading into this tie, yet a sluggish, heavy-legged start permitted Norwich brief glimpses of possession and the subtle possibility of scoring an early goal as the hosts struggled to establish their rhythm.
That short-lived resistance was ultimately shattered, though, when in addition to Samba’s opener, Rayan Cherki settled into his stride, effortlessly gliding into space before finishing into the bottom-left corner to double the lead and place the contest beyond Norwich’s reach before half-time.
Once the deadlock had been broken, Norwich’s hopes of a comeback - or anything positive from this game, for that matter - were withering. On the other hand, City adapted to the less demanding opposition than what they faced in the controversial Manchester derby on the weekend, adding a third shortly after the restart.
This time, it was the Brazilian prospect Allan who contributed to the thumping, driving a low effort beyond Grimshaw after showcasing the dribbling that attracted City in their bid to sign the winger.
For what was a dream debut for the wonderkid Samba could have transpired even better. Only 10 minutes after his opener, the midfielder-turned-forward could have contributed to an eventual hat-trick when Cherki sent him through on goal.
Advancing on the left side of the penalty area, Samba had the opportunity to unleash a shot much earlier but tried to take it around defender Bruno Alves instead, and in doing so wasted the chance as City continued their onslaught.
Despite the scoreline, the hosts found difficulty in hitting the target in other periods of the contest, particularly when Rico Lewis flashed a luxury opening over the bar nine minutes in, before Rayan Ait-Nouri fired a chanceless effort high and wide shortly before half-time.
Granting more academy stars the chance to impress, Maresca brought Kaden Braithwaite and Ryan McAidoo on - as promised in his pre-match press conference - with the latter coming close to adding a fifth after 69 minutes, when a low shot was denied by Canaries goalkeeper Grimshaw.
Philippe Clement's side, who stand 14th in the EFL Championship table, threatened to discard a so-far straightforward clean sheet up to that point when substitute Mohamed Toure tucked a simple finish beyond Geronimo Rulli, but was found offside as the scoreline remained 4-0.
Then, in the dying moments, academy graduate McAidoo made it five when he met O’Reilly’s simple cross, which was cleverly left by Lewis on the edge of the area.
Following their 5-0 victory, Maresca’s side will now face Brighton & Hove Albion in the fourth round of the competition after they pulled off a remarkable comeback victory against Manchester United on Wednesday.
Here’s how we rated the Manchester City players from their 5-0 victory against Norwich City!
Player Ratings
Starting XI
Geronimo Rulli - 6.5/10
Bittersweet debut for the goalkeeper, returning to City for his second spell. Barely faced a shot from Norwich and didn’t have to make a single save throughout.
Rico Lewis - 6.5/10
Made a positive run forward in the opening 10 minutes despite not finishing, and played well in defence and when advancing into midfield alongside Bouaddi.
Abdukodir Khusanov - 7.5/10
Strong and fearless defending on the right side from him. Played many direct and line-breaking passes into midfield to keep the ball moving.
Vitor Reis - 7.5/10
An easy shift for Reis but one that put his strengths into the spotlight. Certainly reassured Maresca that he is there as backup when required.
Nico O’Reilly - 7/10
Positive contribution for the opening goal. Showcased his ability from a defensive and attacking standpoint here, and provided the experience needed.
Ayyoub Bouaddi - 7.5/10
Lost the ball a couple of times in dangerous areas but adapted to the chances he needed to make. Great exchange with Samba for City’s second goal and a wonderful pass into Cherki. Controlled the final stages excellently.
Mateo Kovacic - 7.5/10
Made a number of motivated runs into the box and moved the ball on effectively for the opener.
Allan - 8/10
Gave several balls away in the early stages and was bound for a poor performance but turned it around with a great assist to Samba before finishing well into the bottom corner.
Rayan Cherki - 7.5/10
After a quiet start, he grew into the match and scored a crucial goal to take control of the game.
Rayan Ait-Nouri - 7.5/10
Linked up well with O’Reilly on the left flank and, despite wasting possession at times, he moved the ball efficiently in other periods and helped add a third when Allan scored.
Floyd Samba - 9/10 (POTM)
A dream start for the debutant. He took control of the game, showing lethal efficiency in front of goal to bag a decisive brace and announce himself in style.
Substitutes
Ryan McAidoo - 7.5/10
Showed remarkable confidence in front of goal when he came on and eventually got his goal with a great one-touch finish.
Kaden Braithwaite - 6.5
Didn’t have much to do in defence when he came on, but still showed no weakness at the back.