Carabao Cup third round: City drawn against Norwich
Manchester City will begin the defence of their Carabao Cup crown at the Etihad Stadium against Norwich City.
The draw for the third round, held earlier this week, paired Enzo Maresca's side with the Canaries in a tie scheduled for the week beginning September 14.
City enter the competition at this stage because of their involvement in the Champions League, a familiar quirk of the calendar that spares them the early rounds. Norwich, by contrast, have already earned their place here the hard way, seeing off MK Dons and Cardiff City to reach this point.
Last season's final was a comfortable afternoon at Wembley, where Nico O'Reilly's brace secured a 2-0 win over Arsenal and delivered another piece of silverware to the cabinet. That triumph means City arrive at this year's competition as holders, a status that brings with it a certain expectation.
Norwich will hardly be daunted by the occasion, though. They have already shown they can navigate a cup run, and a trip to the Etihad represents the kind of tie that defines a season for clubs of their size. For City, the priority will be progression without fuss, though the Blues know these fixtures can throw up surprises.
The club confirmed the fixture on social media on August 26, with a simple message that laid out the task ahead. Attention now turns to September, when the Carabao Cup road resumes.