Manchester City debutant Floyd Samba is the son of former Blackburn and QPR defender Christopher
Teenager Floyd Samba enjoyed a dream first-team debut by scoring twice to help Manchester City begin the defence of their Carabao Cup crown with a thrashing of Championship outfit Norwich City.
The son of former Premier League defender Christopher Samba, the 17-year-old scored in each half as the hosts made light work of their second-tier opposition to set up a fourth-round tie against Brighton – who knocked out Manchester United on Wednesday.
Enzo Maresca’s side had initially found it difficult to make inroads on the Canaries defence, with full-back Rico Lewis drifting a rising effort narrowly over the crossbar, but they took total control by scoring two goals in three minutes.
Manchester City found the breakthrough courtesy of Samba’s flicked header from fellow debutant Allan’s cross, while Rayan Cherki coolly finished off when bearing down on goal from Ayyoub Bouaddi’s pass.
Brazilian Allan went from provider to goalscorer at the start of the second half, showing quick feet to shift the ball on to his left boot before drilling a low finish, before Samba curled in delightfully for his second and Ryan McAidoo added a fifth late on for the home side.
Philippe Clement’s men thought they had grabbed a consolation when substitute Mohamed Toure slipped home a cool finish past Geronimo Rulli, but the goal was ruled out for offside and preserved a clean sheet on the Argentine goalkeeper’s debut.
Samba helps hosts saunter through
Manchester City, second in the Premier League, at home against a Norwich side 14th in the Championship never seemed like producing a shock result.
The Canaries players and supporters made the long trip over from Norfolk and return home extending their thoroughly miserable recent record against their opponents.
Norwich were heavy underdogs and it proved to be the case, having now lost their past three contests against Manchester City by an aggregate of 19-0, suffering defeat in all five League Cup meetings between the sides.
But it was a satisfying evening for boss Maresca, who made 10 changes to the side that won at rivals Manchester United on Sunday – the sole survivor from that starting XI, Cherki, scoring in the first half.
But the night belonged to academy product Samba, graduating from the club’s academy into the senior set-up to score a double on his first senior start – the first an instinctive header but the second a beauty of a finish caressed into the far corner.
Maresca’s side faced questions when they began the campaign with a heavy defeat by Arsenal in the Community Shield, but they have since recovered by winning six games in a row in all competitions.
They will be aiming to pick up maximum points against Sunderland on Sunday to continue a highly impressive start to Maresca’s tenure, before the three-week international break.
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