Clement's ambition clashes with City's efficiency in the EFL Cup
On a drizzly evening at the Etihad Stadium, 52‑year‑old Belgian manager Philippe Clement came down full of ambition, but his Norwich City was knocked out of the EFL Cup with a 5‑0 defeat by Manchester City. The Red Devil Jeremy Doku (24) was still missing due to a calf injury.
Humiliating defeat for Norwich
Clement arrived with high expectations, but Manchester City immediately took the lead and Norwich could barely keep up with the Citizens' attacking tempo. It was only after half an hour that the first goal fell.
The 17‑year‑old Floyd Samba opened the scoring with a header after a perfect cross into the sixteen‑meter area. Three minutes later Rayan Cherki doubled the lead with a quick counter‑attack, after which City went into the break 2‑0 up.
After the break City pressed even further. Allan Elias created space with a brilliant dribble and rewarded himself with a goal. Shortly after, Floyd Samba scored again, bringing the score to 4‑0, and in the final minutes Ryan McAidoo set the final score at 5‑0.
With this victory Manchester City, still without Jeremy Doku, advance to the next round where they will face Brighton, a team with the Red Devil Maxim De Cuyper. Brighton had eliminated Manchester United on Wednesday, a side featuring the Red Devils Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans.
Clement evaluates the lesson
“We started very disciplined. After 20 minutes I noticed that Manchester City on the sideline next to me and also on the pitch were getting a bit irritated because they couldn’t create anything at that moment,” Clement said at the press conference. “But then you concede the first goal, and we have to defend better. We find ourselves 1‑0 down and then we concede a second goal in a transition.”
He continued: “It is difficult to concede five goals from six shots on target. Those are not good statistics. In the end we didn’t give away much, but they were very efficient. That’s why they also play for Manchester City and not for Norwich (laughs). They are really good lessons for my group of players.”
The match underlines the gap between an experienced Premier League powerhouse and a club that still has to adapt to the pace of the top English competition, a reality that Clement and his young players now have to process. From Albania to Venezuela the message remains clear: the road to success requires more than ambition.