Manchester City beat Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time, keeping alive their defence of the Carabao Cup title. Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli stood out by saving two penalties.
The win sends the team through to the quarter-finals, which will be played at the Etihad Stadium.
A match of twists and turns
Brighton started the match in front, when Malick Yalcouye scored in the 30th minute. However, Mateo Kovacic levelled for City before half-time.
The visitors went back in front through a goal from Georginio Rutter, who also saw a shot hit the crossbar. City’s pressure paid off with a goal from Vitor Reis, who diverted a Rayan Cherki free kick into the net and took the tie to penalties.
Head coach Enzo Maresca made nine changes to the starting XI that lost to Aston Villa, leaving out key players such as Erling Haaland and Ruben Dias. Brighton also fielded a heavily changed side.
The result leaves Manchester City one step away from the trophy. In the quarter-finals, they will face League One side Bradford.
Bournemouth, Palace and Sunderland also go through
Bournemouth beat Aston Villa 3-0 to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time in eight seasons. Amine Adli opened the scoring in the seventh minute, and Lewis Cook and Alvaro Rodriguez sealed the win, extending the team’s run of victories.
Crystal Palace also progressed, with Eddie Nketiah scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Fulham. The result eased the pressure on manager Pierre Sage, although the team still face challenges in the Premier League.
Palace’s next opponents will be Sunderland, who went through with a 3-2 win over Brentford, with Chemsdine Talbi and Malick Fofana the standout performers.
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