Floyd Samba Stars in Manchester City’s 5-0 Carabao Cup Victory

Floyd Samba walked into the Etihad as a teenager making his first Manchester City start. He walked off with two goals, a standing ovation and a statement performance that lit up a routine 5-0 Carabao Cup win over Norwich.

Seventeen years old. Son of former Premier League defender Chris Samba. Leading the line for the holders – and looking like he’d been there for years.

Samba steals the show

For 20 minutes, Norwich did their job. Compact, disciplined, organised. Philippe Clement’s side kept City at arm’s length and even drew a hint of frustration from the home crowd as attacks broke down.

Then Samba arrived in the tie.

On 29 minutes, he timed his run perfectly, dipped low and buried a stooping header to open the scoring, announcing himself to the Etihad with the kind of goal any seasoned No 9 would be proud of. His father watched from the stands as the stadium rose for the youngster’s first senior goal.

Norwich barely had time to reset. Three minutes later, City sliced them open again. Ayyoub Bouaddi threaded a clever pass into Rayan Cherki, who took one touch and drilled a precise finish into the bottom corner. From annoyance to cruise control in the space of 180 seconds.

Samba could have had another before the break. Released through the middle, he surged into the box only for Bruno Alves to produce a superb recovery tackle just as the teenager shaped to shoot. It was a rare moment of resistance on a night when Norwich were otherwise overwhelmed.

Allan joins the party

If the first half belonged to Samba and Cherki, the second quickly became Allan’s stage.

Just three minutes after the restart, the Brazilian – another debutant – collected the ball, glided past challenges and drove a low shot into the far corner. Having assisted Samba’s opener, he now had a goal of his own, his performance oozing confidence as he adjusted to English football in real time.

The pressure finally told again on 54 minutes, and naturally, it was Samba. Picking up the ball on the edge of the area, he opened his body and curled a gorgeous effort into the bottom-right corner. It was the pick of the night’s goals, the kind of finish that underlined why Enzo Maresca has been trialling him as a central striker in recent games.

Norwich, by contrast, could not lay a glove on City. They finished without a single shot on target, their one moment of joy snatched away by the assistant’s flag when substitute Mohamed Toure thought he had grabbed a consolation, only to see his effort ruled out for offside on 74 minutes.

McAidoo finishes the job

City never needed to hit top gear, but the hunger from the fringe players and youngsters was obvious. Samba remained at the heart of everything, and on 68 minutes he slipped in Ryan McAidoo, whose low strike across goal was well saved by Daniel Grimshaw.

McAidoo would not be denied all night, though. Deep into the final minute of normal time, he arrived to add a fifth, completing a dominant display and underlining the depth Maresca has at his disposal.

Five goals. Six wins from six for the new head coach. Ten changes from the weekend, yet the same relentless outcome.

Maresca’s dream start gathers pace

Enzo Maresca did not hide his satisfaction at what he had seen, particularly from his young forwards.

On Samba, he highlighted not just the brace but the all-round display, noting that the teenager has not played many games as a traditional No 9, but has impressed with his ability to “finish the action” as City have experimented with him there in recent matches. It was, he said, a good game in a performance that underlined the seriousness and professionalism of his rotated side in what he insisted was “not an easy game”.

Allan also drew praise. Thrown in for a full 90 minutes in his first taste of English cup football, he delivered a goal and an assist. Maresca pointed to the difference between South American and English competitions, stressing how important this outing will be for the Brazilian as the fixtures pile up.

The message from the manager was clear: this was not a one-off showcase for the kids. “We have many games and we are just at the beginning of the season,” he said, making it plain that those who impressed here will have their chances in the Premier League and Champions League.

The win sets up a fourth-round tie at home to Brighton and keeps Maresca’s perfect start alive. Six competitive games, six victories, and the sense that City’s transition from the Pep Guardiola era is being handled with a firm, confident hand.

Norwich left to count the cost

For Clement, the scoreline hurt. He pointed to 20 minutes of solid structure and discipline, even suggesting City “started to get a little bit annoyed” as Norwich held them at bay early on.

Then came the collapse.

Clement admitted his side “needed to do better” on the cross for the first goal and called the concession of the second – on transition – “naive”. Norwich did have moments in the final third, but poor decisions and that offside call on Toure left them empty-handed.

“I saw good individual performances,” Clement said, but he could not escape the numbers: five goals conceded from just six shots on target faced. Brutal efficiency from City, and a harsh lesson for a side still trying to grow into its manager’s demands.

As the Etihad lights dimmed, the story belonged to a 17-year-old forward and a coach who cannot stop winning. Brighton await in the next round. The question now is simple: how long can Maresca and his new-look City keep this perfect run alive?