Manchester City seeks opener against Norwich City in Carabao Cup clash

Manchester City hosted Norwich City in a Carabao Cup third-round tie at the Etihad Stadium on September 17, with a heavily rotated squad searching for a breakthrough against a disciplined defensive setup. Manager Enzo Maresca made 10 changes to his starting eleven from City’s previous Premier League outing, using the domestic cup fixture as an opportunity to give fringe players and new signings their first meaningful minutes in sky blue. A new-look City side takes shape Among the fresh faces were goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli, midfielder Allan, and forward Floyd Samba, all making their competitive debuts for the club. Norwich arrived at the Etihad set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, organized and compact under the direction of captain Grant Hanley. Goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw, a former City academy product, took his place between the posts with something to prove against his old club. Possession without penetration City dominated possession, recycled the ball patiently, and probed for openings. The Canaries sat deep, narrowed the passing lanes through the center of the pitch, and forced City’s unfamiliar attacking combinations to find chemistry on the fly. City entered the match riding a fiv...