Norwich City kick-started their competitive campaign with a bang as they impressed in a 4-1 Carabao Cup win over MK Dons. The Canaries set the tone for the afternoon inside the opening 40 seconds, when Mo Toure's thumping strike gave them the lead after Kenny McLean slotted him in behind the MK Dons defence.
What happened?
Their slick attacking play continued and saw the Australian international striker turn provider as he chopped the ball into the path of Anis Ben Slimane, who turned inside his man before tucking the ball past Craig MacGillivray to double their lead inside seven minutes. City's dominance and intensity continued, and they added a third before the interval. Andre Brooks latched onto a cutback, only for his strike to deflect off colleague Ben Chrisene and loop into the top corner of the net.
Why it matters for Norwich City
A crazy 10-minute spell in the second half saw MK Dons miss a penalty, score to reduce the deficit, all before Norwich added a fourth goal to kill off the contest. Callum Paterson was bundled over inside the Canaries box after a deep free kick, but Vladan Kovacevic superbly denied Nathaniel Mendez-Laing from the spot. From the resulting corner, Ryan Wintle volleyed into the net to prevent Philippe Clement's side from earning a clean sheet.
What comes next?
It took just three minutes for City to reclaim their three-goal advantage, when a poor defensive pass was seized upon by Brooks, who ran through and coolly slotted the ball into the net to mark his debut with a goal after a £8m move from Sheffield United earlier this summer. City will now focus on their Championship opener against West Brom at Carrow Road next Saturday, hoping to take momentum from a convincing League Cup victory.
The Canaries are currently 9th in the Championship, with 65 points from 46 games, and a goal difference of +7. They have scored 63 goals this season, while conceding 56. They are 30 points behind leaders Coventry in the title race. Meanwhile, Mirko Topić is currently sidelined for the club.
