Norwich City were reminded how far away their Premier League ambitions are as they were unceremoniously dumped from the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace.
Goals from Daichi Kamada, Jean-Phillipe Mateta (2) and Eberechi Eze helped Oliver Glasner's side to a 4-0 win over the Canaries, bringing them back down to earth after a positive weekend display against Sheffield United.
It was a night of intrigue and interest for City fans, with less focus on the result and more on the fringe players staking their claims for Championship game time. They weren't expecting to be behind within two minutes, however, let alone of their own making.
It was Grant Hanley's poor distribution that started the move, an apt development given criticism of his in-possession game. His chipped ball forward was easily intercepted by the Palace midfield, who easily tore through a soft visiting core and saw Kamada open the scoring.
But Johannes Hoff Thorup's side had two golden chances to atone minutes later, Onel Hernandez' low cross causing chaos in the home box. First Ante Crnac should have scored when Dean Henderson denied him from close range, then Gabriel Foryth contrived to hit the post with the rebound.
Things went from bad to worse when Amankwah Forson took a painful-looking tumble in the 12th minute, limping off for Kenny McLean with tears in his eyes and his arm in a makeshift sling.
England international Eze underlined the gap in quality when he lofted over George Long and into the net shortly thereafter, but the offside flag kept the score line modest.
From there until the end of the first third, the signs were good. City began to dominate possession and looked increasingly comfortable in Thorup's system, zipping the ball around quickly and assuredly.
They couldn't convert that into chances, though, and Palace simply waited until an opportunity presented itself. Again that fell to Eze, this time onside but unable to find the target from 15 yards.
In the 38th minute Norwich finally combined their clever passing play with incisive work in the final third, Liam Gibbs finding Marcelino Nunez to end a quick attacking move. To the extreme frustration of the defiant away end, the Chilean comfortably cleared the crossbar.
There were nuances to the performance, but City went into half time with many of the lessons they've always learned against Premier League opposition: good performances help, but it's composure in the key moments that wins games.
Mateta could have put the game to bed with the first action of the second period had he shown some of his own, but the imposing strike cleared post and bar from a tight angle.
Crnac was next to take aim and looked primed for a trademark long-range goal, but he found only home skipper Marc Guehi's legs.
In the 57th minute Mateta found the killer blow. In truth Kamada had far too much time to cross for him, but few were paying attention to that when his team-mate found the net with a sublime overhead kick.
But City reacted well to the goal, creating two opportunities just as they did after the opener. Again it was Crnac failing to score the first, this time after debutant Oscar Schwartau had set him free. The Dane was on hand for the follow up, but fired straight at Henderson.
By this point there was little doubt as to who'd progress to the third round, but Mateta quickly saw to any lingering optimism among those in yellow and green.
His second goal was rather more simple than his first, sweeping beyond George Long after Eze found him in plenty of space. There was a question mark over the 30-year-old's goalkeeping, but that mattered little to Mateta.
Eze finally got his goal after the game had reached chants from both sets of supporters of 'we've got the ball', any hopes of a consolatory ending for City quashed.
They'll hope for a rapid recovery ahead of Saturday's trip to face Coventry City, with a transfer deadline day and likely multiple signings coming before then.
CRYSTAL PALACE:
Substitutes:
32. Johnstone (GK)
2. Ward (on for Munoz, 79)
7. Sarr (on for Kamada, 70)
8. Lerma (on for Doucoure, 70)
15. Schlupp
20. Wharton (on for Hughes, 70)
22. Edouard
26. Richards (on for Riad, 10)
29. Ahamada
Manager: Oliver Glasner
Bookings: Munoz (76)
Goals: Kamada (2), Mateta (57, 68), Eze (84)
NORWICH CITY:
Substitutes:
37. Mair (GK)
3. Stacey (on for Nunez, 83)
4. Duffy
6. Doyle (on for Chrisene, 58)
7. Sainz (on for Crnac, 83)
9. Sargent
23. McLean (on for Forson, 13)
29. Schwartau (on for Forsyth, 58)
40. Hills
Head Coach: Johannes Hoff Thorup
Bookings:
Goals:
KEY MOMENTS
2 - GOAL PALACE (Kamada): Palace intercept Hanley's poor chop forward and quickly play through Norwich, Mateta setting Kamada up to round Long and slot home.
7 - The visitors have two golden chances to equalise when Hernandez fizzes a low ball in, but Crnac's effort is turned away by Henderson and Forsyth hits the post on the rebound.
31 - Mitchell cuts back for Eze, who scuffs his left-footed shot wide.
38 - City work the ball through the thirds very well and Gibbs finds Nunez, but he comfortably clears the Palace crossbar.
Half time: Crystal Palace 1-0 Norwich City
46 - Eze sets Mateta away, but he fires well over and wide from a tight angle.
51 - Crnac drives a low shot into Guehi's legs.
57 - GOAL PALACE (Mateta): Kamada has plenty of time to swing a cross in and Mateta meets it, finding the net with a sublime overhead kick.
60 - Schwartau sends Crnac through and his shot is saved by Henderson before the Dane fires the rebound straight at the Palace stopper.
68 - GOAL PALACE (Mateta): Eze gets in behind Fisher and cuts back for Mateta, who sweeps past Long to make it 3-0.
84 - GOAL PALACE (Eze): Eze carries the ball into the Norwich box and slaloms through the challenges before slotting past Long.
Full time: Crystal Palace 4-0 Norwich City
PLAYER RATINGS
Long 4, Fisher 7, Hanley 5, Cordoba 5, Chrisene 6, Gibbs 6, Nunez 5, Forson 5, Forsyth 6, Crnac 4, Hernandez 7. Subs: McLean 7, Doyle 6, Schwartau 6, Stacey 5, Sainz 5.
MATCH STATISTICS
Possession: 45pc-55pc
Shots: 13-7
On target: 5-3
Corners: 4-0
Fouls: 11-5
Added time: 6 mins/
Referee: Matthew Donohue
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