Tairyk Arconte marked his debut for Millwall with a brace, helping the Lions to a comfortable 3-0 victory over a reduced Norwich side and securing their second straight win in the Sky Bet Championship. Despite entering the campaign without several key figures, Millwall have started the season strongly and are eager to prove that last year’s flirtation with promotion was not a one‑off event. The Canaries, who entered the season as early play‑off contenders, have now lost both of their opening fixtures and arrived at The Den without any realistic hope of taking the early lead. Their woes were compounded when defender Jose Cordoba received a second yellow card, leaving Norwich with ten men for a significant portion of the match.
Millwall looked dangerous almost from the kickoff. Within six minutes, Camiel Neghli threaded a precise pass to Josh Coburn, whose effort struck the near post.
Norwich responded quickly; Anis Ben Slimane sent a low cross into the six‑yard box, but Oscar Schwartau inexplicably mishit the ball, sending it wide from close range. The Canaries’ goalkeeper, Vladan Kovacevic, then produced a sharp reflex save from a cleanly struck volley by Neghli, following a corner from Kyrell Lisbie that was headed back to him. The first goal arrived in the 18th minute.
Mark Sykes delivered a cross that found Coburn, whose shot was parried by Kovacevic. Arconte, making his home debut, pounced on the rebound and tapped the ball into the net to give Millwall a 1‑0 lead.
The hosts thought they might double the lead a few minutes later when Jake Cooper rose to meet Jenson Metcalfe’s free‑kick, sending a header toward the top corner. However, the assistant referee raised the flag for off‑side, nullifying the potential second goal. Norwich had a chance to pull one back when Andre Brooks cut inside and struck, only to send his shot wide. Later, Cordoba cleared a dangerous scramble from Lisbie off the line, preventing the Lions from extending their advantage.
Millwall restored full control in the 58th minute. Zak Sturge’s ball into the box was headed back to Cooper, who laid it off to Arconte.
The Guadeloupean striker struck a clean volley that curled into the bottom corner, securing his second goal of the afternoon and putting the visitors 2‑0 ahead. Norwich introduced three substitutes after the hour mark, including Papa Amadou Diallo, who nearly sparked a comeback when his low drive forced Millwall keeper Lukas Jensen into a good save. The Canaries’ fortunes turned dramatically in the 64th minute when Cordoba received a second yellow for a reckless challenge on Arconte, leaving Norwich to battle with ten men. Anthony Musaba, making his Norwich debut, was brought on and briefly threatened to revive the contest, but his shot drifted wide as he tried to exploit the space left by the red‑carded defender.
The final nail in the coffin came with six minutes left. A swift counter‑attack saw Daniel Kelly combine with Neghli, culminating in Luke Cundle sliding the ball past the Norwich back line to complete the 3‑0 scoreline.
After the match, Millwall manager Alex Neil praised his side’s display: "It was probably the most complete performance we’ve had in the nearly 20 months I’ve been here. To do that with four new summer signings against a well‑coached Norwich side says a lot about the squad’s quality. I think we were the best team from the first minute to the last.
We could have been more clinical in the first half – a 3‑0 result would have been a fair reflection – but we turned it up again after the break when a 1‑0 lead can become dangerous. Our balance between possession and pressing meant they never really got a foothold." Norwich boss Philippe Clement was more candid about his side’s shortcomings: "In the first half we were bullied. We lost duels, second balls, and when they pressed us we lacked the bravery on the ball. There was little positive to take from that period.
At half‑time we were down 1‑0, and I expected a reaction. The second half showed more courage; we created chances again and tried to get back into the game.
Then the second goal came, followed by the red card, which made things even more complicated. In the end we lost because Millwall deserved the win, but I’m disappointed we didn’t show our best.
Perhaps there’s been too much optimism about the squad before the season started." Overall, Millwall’s early season form suggests they could be serious contenders for promotion, while Norwich must regroup quickly to avoid slipping further down the table.