Manchester City Tops Brighton on Penalties to Reach Carabao Cup Quarterfinals

Manchester City edged past Brighton & Hove Albion in a penalty shootout on Wednesday night at Etihad Stadium to advance to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals following an eventful 2-2 draw. Reserve goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli served as the hero from the spot, making consecutive saves against Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk to secure passage for the tournament holders.

Both clubs traded punches in a back-and-forth contest where City had to come from behind on two separate occasions. Brighton drew first blood when Malick Yalcouyé scored from close range, capitalizing on a high turnover generated by the visitors' aggressive man-to-man pressure. The hosts answered shortly afterward through midfielder Mateo Kovačić, who drilled a shot from distance past Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele to tally his first goal for the club since April 2025.

Brighton reclaimed the lead immediately following the halftime break when Georginio Rütter finished neatly to make it 2-1. City leveled the score once more under fortunate circumstances, as defender Vitor Reis deflected a Rayan Cherki free kick into the net beyond Steele's reach. Rulli had previously kept the home side in contention by pulling off an outstanding save against Rütter, preventing Brighton from extending their lead before the second equalizer arrived.

The midweek fixture saw both managers implement widespread changes ahead of an upcoming Premier League rematch on the same pitch in three days. City manager Enzo Maresca and Brighton coach Fabian Hürzeler both rotated heavily. Notably absent from City's squad was striker Erling Haaland, who was omitted from the matchday roster entirely. Despite limping near the end of City's 3-2 league victory over Ipswich Town, Haaland was not injured and was merely given a rest amid a congested schedule.

In Haaland's absence, 17-year-old academy prospect Floyd Samba received the start at striker. Samba, the son of former Premier League defender Christopher Samba who previously scored twice against Norwich City in the competition, led the line alongside attackers Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, and Brazilian winger Allan. Maresca also turned to his bench during the match, bringing on Ryan McAidoo, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Jérémy Doku, Abdukodir Khusanov, and Enzo Fernández.

Tactically, Brighton caused significant problems by penetrating the half-spaces—the vertical inside channels between the center and the flanks—which repeatedly stretched City's reshuffled backline. The visiting side produced 1.19 more expected goals (xG) than City over the 90 minutes, with Maresca's squad generating only 0.29 xG from open play and creating a single big chance. The physical duel also produced a notable disparity in infractions, with Brighton committing 20 fouls compared to only three called against City.

With no extra time and no further scoring before the final whistle, the match proceeded straight to penalty kicks. While Steele gave Brighton an initial advantage by stopping Kovačić's attempt, Rulli's back-to-back denials turned the tide to send City into the final eight. The result marked City's 11th victory in their last 17 competitive penalty shootouts dating back to 1997, giving them positive momentum heading into Saturday's league rematch.