Floyd Samba had never played a senior game for Manchester City before Thursday night. By the final whistle he had two goals, a debut to frame and a place in the fourth round of the League Cup secured. The 17-year-old headed in his first in the 29th minute, curled in his second after the break, and City's 5-0 win over second-division Norwich was never really in doubt after that.
The opening goal came from a cross by Allan, the 22-year-old Brazilian forward who was also making his first City appearance. Allan's delivery found Samba at the far post, and the teenager finished with a header that gave goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw no chance. Three minutes later City had their second. Ayyoub Bouaddi released Rayan Cherki, and the French winger, the only City player retained from Sunday's Manchester derby against United, beat Grimshaw one on one to make it 2-0.
Allan got his goal early in the second half, a low left-footed shot that settled the contest before the hour. Samba then added his second, curling the ball in from a position that suggested a striker with instincts beyond his age. The rout was completed in the final minute by Ryan McAidoo, an 18-year-old forward who came off the bench and finished the scoring.
City are the defending League Cup champions, and Enzo Maresca used the tie to give his young players a genuine run. Samba, Allan and McAidoo all took their chances, and the manager's decision to rotate heavily from the derby lineup paid off in goals if not in continuity. Cherki was the only link to the side that drew with United on Sunday, and he looked sharp throughout, involved in the build-up as well as on the scoresheet.
The result sets up a fourth-round meeting with Brighton. That tie carries its own edge given what happened on Wednesday, when Brighton recovered from a two-goal deficit to eliminate United 3-2 at Old Trafford. City's path to the latter stages now runs through a side that has already knocked out their cross-town rivals this week, and the fixture will be played with both teams in form.
Norwich, meanwhile, will reflect on a night where the gap between the divisions showed. They had spells of possession but rarely troubled City's defence, and Grimshaw was called into action far more often than his counterpart. The second-tier side never found a way to slow Samba, whose movement caused problems from the first whistle to the last.
For City, the positives are clear. Samba's two goals on debut will be the headline, but Allan's contribution was just as significant, a goal and an assist in his first outing. McAidoo's late strike rounded off a night where the club's academy and recruitment pipeline both delivered. Maresca now has options he did not have a week ago, and the fourth-round draw has given him a fixture that will test his side properly.
The match was played in Manchester on Thursday, with the home side controlling the tempo from the opening exchanges. Norwich defended deep and tried to stay compact, but City's movement in the final third was too sharp. Samba's first goal came from a moment of quality from Allan, his second from a run and finish that suggested a player comfortable at this level already.
Brighton await in the next round. Their win at Old Trafford on Wednesday, coming from two goals down, showed the resilience City will face. The tie is not yet scheduled, but it will be one of the standout fourth-round fixtures. For Samba, the night ended with two goals, a debut win and a place in the conversation for the next round. He had never played a senior game for City before Thursday. Now he has two goals and a round to look forward to.
According to Yahoo Sports.