Man City Edges Brighton in Carabao Cup Shootout Following 2-2 Draw

Manchester City reached the Carabao Cup quarterfinals with a 4-3 shootout win over Brighton after Gerónimo Rulli saved two spot-kicks.

Manchester City advanced to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday after defeating Brighton 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium. Goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli secured the victory by denying Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk from the spot. Phil Foden, Enzo Fernández, Jérémy Doku, and Rayan Cherki converted their penalties for the holders, while Mateo Kovacic missed his attempt.

During regulation time, Brighton took the lead through Malick Yalcouyé before Kovacic equalized prior to the halftime whistle. Georginio Rutter restored the Seagulls' advantage after the restart, but City leveled again when Vitor Reis diverted a Cherki free kick into the net. Rulli preserved the scoreline during the match by tipping a Rutter shot onto the crossbar.

Manager Enzo Maresca, who made nine changes to his starting lineup, confirmed that his squad had not practiced penalties prior to the match. Maresca rested Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rúben Dias, Elliot Anderson, and Josko Gvardiol for the fixture. Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler, who made seven changes to his side, noted that his team had sufficient chances to win before the shootout. The two clubs are scheduled to meet again at the Etihad in the Premier League this Saturday.