Norwich City are enjoying a remarkable resurgence, fueled by the electrifying form of loanee Mohamed Toure. The 21-year-old Australian striker continued his dream start to life in English football on Saturday, scoring in Norwich’s 3-1 FA Cup victory over West Bromwich Albion at Carrow Road.
Toure, who joined the Canaries from Danish side Randers roughly two weeks ago, headed home in stoppage time to seal the win, taking his tally to an astonishing five goals in just three appearances. This incredible run includes a hat-trick in his only starting appearance to date, making him the first Norwich player in 117 years to achieve such a feat in his initial three matches.
The goals from Paris Maghoma and Ben Chrisene, alongside Toure’s late strike, propelled Norwich into the FA Cup’s last 16. While West Brom managed to pull a goal back through Josh Maja, Norwich’s overall performance demonstrated a significant shift from their struggles earlier in the season.
Norwich manager Philippe Clement has been impressed with Toure’s impact, but also highlighted the player’s unassuming personality. “I don’t have the feeling with him that I need to manage him a lot, because he’s really humble. He’s even quite introvert,” Clement explained. He recounted a story of Toure’s reluctance to sing during the traditional new-player initiation, playfully noting that his performance on the pitch far exceeded his vocal efforts.
“He’s really humble, really down to earth. He’s come from Australia, he’s focused and wants to learn and recognises really well the things he needs to work on. He’s really hungry to become better. I don’t need to manage him,” Clement added, underscoring Toure’s dedication and willingness to improve.
Toure himself expressed his delight at joining Norwich, stating, “It’s been one of my dreams for a long time, coming to England to play football and I didn’t expect to be at such a big club so quick. Now I’m here at Norwich and I just want to enjoy every moment.”
The timing of Toure’s form is particularly significant given it’s a World Cup year, potentially boosting his chances of international recognition. However, Norwich’s success wasn’t the only story unfolding in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Newcastle United secured a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa, despite playing with ten men for a significant portion of the match after Villa goalkeeper Marco Bizot was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Sandro Tonali scored twice for Newcastle, with Nick Woltemade adding a third. The game was not without controversy, as a clear handball by Villa’s Lucas Digne inside the penalty area was incorrectly ruled as a free-kick, a decision that could not be overturned due to the absence of VAR at this stage of the competition.
Wayne Rooney and Alan Shearer were critical of the officiating, with Rooney stating, “That decision is one of the worst decisions I’ve seen in football.”
Manchester City also progressed to the fifth round with a 2-0 win over League Two side Salford City, with Marc Guehi scoring his first goal for the club. City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged Salford’s strong defensive performance, noting that his team didn’t attack the spaces effectively until scoring their second goal.
Elsewhere, Mansfield Town produced a stunning upset, defeating Premier League side Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor. Rhys Oates and Louis Reed scored for Mansfield, overturning Josh Laurent’s earlier goal for Burnley. Burnley manager Scott Parker made nine changes to his starting lineup, a gamble that ultimately backfired.
West Ham United also needed extra time to overcome League One side Burton Albion, winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Crysencio Summerville. West Ham were reduced to ten men during extra time but managed to hold on for the victory.
FA Cup Fourth Round Results –
- Burton 0 – 1 West Ham (Summerville 95’)
- Burnley 1 (Laurent 21’) – 2 Mansfield (Oates 53’, Reed 80’)
- Manchester City 2 (Dorrington 6’ og, Guehi 81’) – 0 Salford
- Norwich 3 (Maghoma 31’, Chrisene 82’, Toure 90+3’) – 1 West Brom (Maja 68’)
- Southampton 2 (Larin 45+1’ pen, Bree 109’) – 1 Leicester (Skipp 52’)
- Aston Villa 1 (Abraham 14’) – 3 Newcastle (Tonali 63’, 76’, Woltemade 88’)
