City to hit the road three times in a week after drawing Man City (a)

Jon Otsemobor's dream of a trip to Manchester in the third round of the Carling Cup came half true this afternoon as the Canaries were drawn away to Manchester City.

All of six miles down the road from where they were last Tuesday night in Rochdale. Once again, City's long-suffering fans will be heading north on a midweek night with the game due to be played in the week beginning Monday, September 24.

?Home tie – that's all you look for in the cup,? was the fervent wish of City boss Peter Grant, speaking at Colney on Thursday. Otsemobor had fancied Manchester United away – no surprises as to who will be the happier with that draw.

Grant has also been looking at the fixture list – well aware that his Canary side will have already travelled to both Charlton Athletic and Wolves in the week leading up to the trip to Eastlands. Hence his wish to enjoy all the comforts of home.

?Home tie,? he repeated. ?Especially in the circumstances – because I think we've got two away games previous to that in Charlton and Wolves.

?So it'd be nice to have a home tie – but knowing our luck it'll be Plymouth away.?

Whether Sven Goran Eriksson's bubble will have burst by the last week of September remains to be seen with City currently sitting second in the Premiership ahead of this weekend's tough trip to Blackburn Rovers.

It will, at least, put a smile on Lee Croft's face as the one-time Eastlands trainee bumps into his former Youth team pals, including new England star Micah Richards.

Elsewhere, on-loan keeper Joe Lewis will continue his Carling Cup tour of the Championship as Morecambe's reward for their 3-1 win over Wolves in midweek is a trip to Bryan Robson's Sheffield United.

The draw – conducted by Sky Sports experts Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier – also poduced five all-Premiership ties; Hull are likely to be the biggest winners – as they play host to Chelsea.

Full third round draw: Blackburn v Birmingham; Reading v Liverpool; Manchester United v Coventry; Tottenham v Middlesbrough; Hull v Chelsea; Blackpool v Southend; West Ham v Plymouth; Arsenal v Newcastle; Luton v Charlton; Manchester City v Norwich City; Sheffield United v Morecambe; Sheffield Wednesday v Everton; Fulham v Bolton; Burnley v Portsmouth; Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest or Leicester; West Brom v Cardiff City.