Featured image: Manchester City acknowledge the crowd after their cup tie against Brighton on 28 October 2026. Photo: Manchester City via their official X account. Display versions may be cropped. Original club post.
Manchester City reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after Geronimo Rulli saved two penalties in a 4-3 shootout win over Brighton. The sides had finished level at 2-2 after City twice recovered from a goal behind at the Etihad.
Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis supplied City’s goals in normal time. Rulli then denied Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk from the spot to decide the tie.
Manchester City respond to Brighton’s opener
Malick Yalcouye put Brighton ahead from close range after an opening half-hour in which both teams had looked for control. City answered ten minutes later.
Phil Foden set up Kovacic, who curled a long-range shot into the net via the inside of the post. It brought City level before the interval, but Brighton went ahead again soon after the restart.
Georginio Rutter finished neatly two minutes into the second half to give the visitors their second lead. City again needed a reply to keep their cup run alive.
Vitor Reis scores City’s second equaliser
With less than 20 minutes remaining, Reis diverted Rayan Cherki’s driven free-kick into the net. City’s official account credits Reis with his first goal for the club.
That distinction matters: Cherki delivered the ball, but the equaliser belongs to Reis. The defender’s touch brought the score back to 2-2.
Neither side found a winner during the rest of normal time. The tie therefore went to penalties, with City still needing to finish the job after two comebacks.
Rulli turns the shootout for Manchester City
Foden, Pascal Gross, Enzo Fernandez, Matt O’Riley, Jeremy Doku and Maxim De Cuyper all converted as the first six kicks found the net.
Kovacic was the first player to miss when his effort was saved. Rulli immediately prevented Brighton from taking advantage, stopping Ayari’s penalty.
Cherki then scored for City. Dunk stepped up needing to keep Brighton in the contest, but Rulli saved again to secure a 4-3 shootout victory.
The goalkeeper’s two stops were decisive. City had already needed two equalisers to reach the shootout; Rulli’s saves ensured that work ended with a place in the last eight.
City move into the quarter-finals
The result keeps City in the competition after a difficult evening against Brighton. Kovacic’s finish and Reis’s first club goal supplied the responses in normal time, while Rulli made the difference from the spot.
This report separates the 2-2 match score from the 4-3 shootout score. City won the tie on penalties, rather than winning the match 4-3 in normal time.
Source: Manchester City’s official match account and gallery.
