Night of the substitutes: Manchester City demolish Norwich with five goals | Goal.com

Published on 17 Sep 2026 | Reading time: 3 minutes

On a night that turned into a show of force, Manchester City crushed their guests Norwich City 5-0 in the EFL Cup, as the substitutes signed off on a night the Citizens' fans will never forget.

This was more than a third-round EFL Cup tie. It was an official statement from Manchester City to English football: this side does not have one team, but two armies of stars. 

The emphatic win booked City a blockbuster date with Brighton in the last 16, an eagerly awaited clash to be played late next October. The defending champions are marching steadily in defence of their title.

Maresca made sweeping changes to his lineup, handing chances to the young faces and substitutes, but the philosophy did not change. 

From the very first second, the Citizens imposed a suffocating siege. Possession reached 72%, the ball circulating endlessly on the edge of the final third in a desperate attempt to crack the code of Norwich's compact defence led by Harry Darling and Bruno Alves, who cleared dozens of crosses.

The key lay in the intelligence of Rayan Cherki, who dropped as a false nine to link the midfield led by Mateo Kovacic and create a numerical advantage that confused the two centre-backs. 

Norwich resisted and made timid attempts to come out of their zones, but the alertness of Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis cut off every avenue.

Then came the moment the fans had been waiting for. The first goal for Floyd Samba in the 29th minute was no ordinary goal. After a superb piece of interplay, he found himself alone inside the box, did not panic, and unleashed a powerful, unstoppable strike that nestled in the net to make it 1-0 and mark the beginning of a new legend.

That goal completely released City. A few minutes later came the second through Rayan Cherki (32), who turned the dominance into a second goal. City led two goals to nil at the break with possession reaching 70%, in a half that was completely one-sided.

With the start of the second half, Maresca made his first substitution by bringing on Rayan McAidoo in place of Cherki. Norwich tried to freshen things up by introducing Paris Maghoma in place of Baba Amadou Diallo, but the result was the opposite.

City came back hungrier. In a moment that confirmed the great understanding between the new talents, Ayoub Bouaddi threaded a silky ball behind the defence, onto which Allan (48) darted like an arrow and scored his second goal and City's third to make it 3-0. A historic brace on his first night confirmed that 30 million euros was simply a steal of a deal.

Floyd Samba did not want to stay in the shadows either. He too wanted to leave his second mark in the 54th minute, and after brilliant work from Rayan Ait-Nouri on the left flank, Samba met a precise cross and turned it into the net. His second goal in the match and City's fourth made it 4-0, turning the game into a goalscoring festival.

A complete four, a clean sheet, and new names knocking hard on the door of brilliance. City are not just winning in the EFL Cup, they are sending a clear message to all their rivals in the Premier League: even when Maresca rests his big stars, he has a new generation capable of devouring any opponent.

You can discuss the topics and news in greater depth in the Kooora forumsIn the 90th minute, the finishing touch came courtesy of golden substitute Rayan McAidoo, who came on in the second half in place of Rayan Cherki to confirm the depth of City's talents.

The fifth goal came after a superb collective move, a burst down the right side and a precise cross, which McAidoo met with a powerful strike that nestled in the net. He announced himself emphatically and left his mark on the night of the festival, raising the score to a historic 5-0 befitting the defending champions and confirming that Enzo Maresca's squad know no mercy until the final seconds.

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