Rulli saves send Manchester City past Brighton into Carabao Cup quarter-finals

Manchester City reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after Geronimo Rulli saved Brighton's final two penalties following a 2-2 draw on Wednesday. According to BBC Sport, the holders' goalkeeper denied Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk in the shootout, securing progression after City had twice come from behind during normal time.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7D0utSJ7KA

Rulli, 34, also made a crucial contribution before the penalties, tipping away a second-half effort from Georginio Rutter. Brighton had taken the lead twice through Malick Yalcouye and Rutter, but City found an equaliser on each occasion. The victory came after manager Enzo Maresca made nine changes to the team beaten at Aston Villa on Saturday.

Despite Rulli's performance, Maresca said the result had not changed the goalkeeping order. Asked by BBC Sport whether the Argentine had put Gianluigi Donnarumma's position under pressure, the manager rejected that suggestion and confirmed the Italian would start against Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday. He said Rulli understood his role as the team's back-up goalkeeper.

Rulli returned to City from Marseille in the summer for £1.7m, the BBC reported. He had previously spent the 2016-17 season at the club without making a first-team appearance. His return followed James Trafford's departure to Leeds, bringing an experienced goalkeeper back to Manchester to provide cover for Donnarumma.

The shootout success added another notable cup moment to Rulli's career. In the 2021 Europa League final, he scored for Villarreal in their shootout against Manchester United before saving from opposing goalkeeper David de Gea. Against Brighton, his two late stops again helped decide a knockout tie, this time keeping City's defence of the League Cup alive.

Maresca also praised Rulli's distribution against Brighton's aggressive marking. He explained that City used longer passes in the first half before looking to play along the ground with Phil Foden after the interval. Donnarumma, meanwhile, had been given three days off alongside Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson and Josko Gvardiol.

City will face Bradford in the quarter-finals. With Arsenal and Chelsea also eliminated, Maresca said his side's ambition remained to win games as a new group of players worked under a manager who had begun the project three months earlier.