London: Manchester City booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli emerged as the hero in a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Brighton, with the holders eventually winning 4-3 from the spot after a 2-2 draw.
Rulli produced two crucial saves, denying Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk as City survived a challenging encounter to set up a quarter-final clash against League One side Bradford City.
Brighton twice took the lead during normal time, but City fought back on both occasions through Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis to force the tie into a shootout.
Malick Yalcouyé opened the scoring for Brighton with a finish that appeared to carry a hint of offside. With no video assistant referee in operation in the Carabao Cup, the goal stood, giving the Seagulls an early advantage.
City responded through Kovacic, who collected a pass from Phil Foden before firing a low effort beyond goalkeeper Jason Steele from the edge of the penalty area.
The visitors regained the lead shortly after the restart. Jaouen Hadjam delivered a cross into the box, allowing Georginio Rutter to finish and put Brighton in a strong position to progress.
Brighton looked increasingly comfortable as City struggled to establish control, with manager Enzo Maresca’s decision to rest several key players appearing to affect his team’s attacking rhythm.
However, the introduction of Jérémy Doku proved decisive. The Belgian winger brought greater pace, directness and urgency to City’s play, repeatedly troubling Brighton’s defence and helping shift the momentum.
City eventually found their equaliser when Rayan Cherki’s powerful effort took a decisive touch off Vitor Reis, wrong-footing Steele and making it 2-2.
With neither side able to find a winner, the contest was decided by penalties. Although Steele saved Kovacic’s attempt, Rulli delivered the decisive contribution by stopping Ayari and Dunk to secure City’s 4-3 shootout triumph.
Speaking after the match, Maresca expressed his satisfaction with the result and praised the impact of his substitutes, particularly Doku.
The City manager also acknowledged that his side could have defended better, describing the contest as chaotic while maintaining that his team managed the game reasonably well.
Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler was disappointed with the outcome, believing his players had created enough opportunities to win. He urged his side to move on quickly, with the two teams scheduled to meet again in the Premier League on Saturday.
Hürzeler said Brighton would look to respond in the upcoming league fixture, viewing it as an opportunity to make amends for their cup defeat.
For Manchester City, the victory keeps their defence of the Carabao Cup alive and sets up a quarter-final meeting with Bradford City. For Brighton, the focus now shifts to the league rematch, where they will hope to turn their promising performance into a winning result.
