Maresca rested Haaland and Donnarumma, and Rulli saved two penalties to keep Man City in the Carabao Cup
Brighton led twice at the Etihad, but the holders drew 2-2 and won the shootout 4-3 to set up a quarter-final at home to Bradford.
Oct 29, 2026
Enzo Maresca gave Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Elliot Anderson a few days off this week, and the Carabao Cup holders very nearly paid for it. Manchester City came from behind twice against Brighton at the Etihad on Wednesday night, drew 2-2 and went through 4-3 on penalties because their back-up goalkeeper saved two of them.
That goalkeeper was Gerónimo Rulli, the 34-year-old Argentine City brought back from Marseille in August to sit behind Donnarumma. He had been at the club once before, in 2016-17, without playing a first-team game. On Wednesday he kept out Yasin Ayari and then Lewis Dunk, and Rayan Cherki’s kick put City 4-3 up.
It needed both saves. Mateo Kovačić, City’s first taker, had already missed.
Brighton were ahead twice
Maresca made nine changes, and for long spells Fabian Hürzeler’s side were the better team. Malick Yalcouyé put Brighton ahead on the half-hour. Kovačić equalised ten minutes later, finishing into the bottom corner after Phil Foden laid the ball off to him at the edge of the box.
Brighton went in front again two minutes into the second half, when Georginio Rutter finished first time from Jaouen Hadjam’s pull-back. City’s second equaliser, in the 72nd minute, had some luck in it. Cherki’s free-kick took a touch off Vitor Reis and went into the bottom corner.
“We could have done better defensively,” Maresca said afterwards. Hürzeler’s view of the two City goals was simpler: “The goals we conceded are very unlucky.”
Bradford next, Brighton again first
City’s reward is a third home tie in a row. The quarter-final draw sent League One Bradford City to the Etihad in the week of 14 December. Bradford beat Peterborough 2-0 on Tuesday and are in the last eight for the first time since they reached the final in 2013.
Before any of that, the same two clubs meet on Saturday, 31 October, in the Premier League, and at the same ground, with kick-off at 8:30pm IST. Haaland and the rest of the rested group should be back for that one. Hürzeler said his side had made enough chances to win on Wednesday, and they will have three days to work out how to finish one or two of them.