Manchester City beat Brighton on penalties to reach quarterfinals

Manchester City advanced to the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup after surviving a penalty shootout against Brighton & Hove Albion following a draw at the Etihad Stadium, as reported. Goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli proved decisive in the shootout by stopping two penalties, keeping Manchester City’s defense of the League Cup trophy alive after a match where manager Enzo Maresca heavily rotated his squad.

Rotations and Early Setbacks at the Etihad Stadium

Facing a physical schedule following a recent Premier League defeat to Aston Villa, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca made numerous changes to his starting lineup. Only Marc Guéhi and Rayan Cherki retained their places from the weekend fixture, giving opportunities to squad members and youth prospects including forward Floyd Samba, according to official club records published by Manchester City.

The lineup struggled to establish a rhythm early on, committing unforced errors that allowed Brighton to dictate the tempo. Just past the half-hour mark, a high press forced a turnover in Manchester City’s half, leading to the opening goal.

Kovacic Equalizes Before the Interval

Manchester City failed to test visiting goalkeeper Jason Steele for much of the first half, but found an equalizer shortly before the break. Phil Foden worked the ball to Mateo Kovačić near the edge of the box. The Croatian midfielder unleashed a precise, curling low shot that clipped the right post and settled in the back of the net to make it 1–1.

Second-Half Swings and Vitor Reis’ Late Equalizer

Brighton regained the lead immediately after the interval. Early in the second half, a neat combination down the left flank saw Hadjam pull the ball back for Rutter, who drove a first-time shot past Rulli to put the visitors ahead 2–1.

Maresca turned to his bench, introducing Jeremy Doku to stretch the Brighton defense. The pressure finally told in the closing stages when a low free-kick from Cherki struck central defender Vitor Reis and deflected past Steele for an own goal that brought Manchester City level at 2–2. Wieffer struck the crossbar for Brighton in the 89th minute, narrowly missing a winner before regulation time expired.

Rulli Secures Victory in the Shootout

With the match tied at the final whistle, the tie proceeded directly to a penalty shootout without extra time. Gerónimo Rulli stopped efforts from Ayari and Dunk in the shootout to secure the victory for Manchester City, sealing their progression to the tournament’s next round.