Rulli saves two penalties as Manchester City beat Brighton in Carabao Cup

Manchester City reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on 28 October 2026 at the Etihad Stadium, beating Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 fourth-round draw. Gerónimo Rulli saved Brighton’s last two spot-kicks to settle a tie in which City had twice fallen behind, according to the Guardian’s match report.

Malick Yalcouyé put Brighton ahead before Mateo Kovacic equalised for City. Georginio Rutter restored Brighton’s lead early in the second half, but Vitor Reis brought City level again. The 4th Official’s match account, republished by Yahoo Sports, places Reis’s equaliser in the 72nd minute.

How Rulli decided the shootout

Doku had come on in the second half, and the Guardian described his introduction as changing City’s attacking momentum. Its account said Cherki’s free kick was redirected by Reis for the second equaliser. The 4th Official gave both Cherki and Reis its highest City player ratings, at eight out of 10, highlighting their contributions before the shootout.

How Brighton twice took the lead

The Guardian reported an apparent offside question over Yalcouyé’s opener: his shot struck Rulli before going in, and the goal stood without a video assistant referee in the Carabao Cup. City responded when Phil Foden fed Kovacic, whose low shot from the edge of the penalty area beat Steele. Brighton went ahead again through Rutter before Reis’s goal forced the shootout.

The cup tie was the first of two City-Brighton meetings at the Etihad Stadium in a short span. The teams are scheduled to meet there again in the league on Saturday, according to the Guardian. Wednesday’s shootout decided only the fourth-round cup fixture.