Man City 2-2 Brighton (4-3 on penalties): Rulli saves twice and Cherki scores the winner before Saturday's rematch
Brighton led twice at the Etihad, through Malick Yalcouyé and Georginio Rutter, but Mateo Kovačić and Vitor Reis pulled City level. Gerónimo Rulli saved from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk in the shootout, and Rayan Cherki struck the winning kick in front of around 12,000 empty seats.
Manchester City are through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after a 2-2 draw with Brighton and a 4-3 shootout win at the Etihad on Wednesday 28 October. The two teams meet again at the same ground in the Premier League on Saturday — see our preview of the double-header.
The goals
| Minute | Goal |
|---|---|
| 30' | Malick Yalcouyé 0-1 — a close-range effort bounces off Gerónimo Rulli and over the line |
| 40' | Mateo Kovačić 1-1 — in off the inside of the post |
| 47' | Georginio Rutter 1-2 — Brighton lead again just after half-time |
| 72' | Vitor Reis 2-2 — a Rayan Cherki free-kick is flicked in by the young centre-back |
The shootout
City made the worse start: Kovačić missed the first kick. Then Rulli took over. He saved from Yasin Ayari and from Brighton captain Lewis Dunk, and Cherki scored the winning penalty to make it 4-3.
It was a big night for Rulli, who started in place of Gianluigi Donnarumma and had been unlucky with Brighton's opening goal.
Two rotated sides
Both managers made big changes with Saturday's league game in mind.
- Erling Haaland was not in City's squad after being given days off following the defeat at Aston Villa — why City lost at Villa.
- Vitor Reis made a rare start at centre-back and scored the equaliser.
- Cherki and Jérémy Doku were the best-known names in City's attack.
- Brighton's Fabian Hürzeler also rotated. Jason Steele replaced Bart Verbruggen in goal.
The empty seats
Just over 49,000 fans were at the Etihad, leaving about 12,000 empty seats. It was the second time in eight days that City had large gaps in the crowd, after the Champions League game against AEK Athens.
What it means
A shootout win still goes down as a draw in the records. Since 2024-25, Brighton are the only top-flight club City have played without beating them in 90 minutes, and that record will be tested again on Saturday.
City will host Bradford City in the quarter-finals — the full quarter-final draw.
FAQ
What was the score in Man City v Brighton? 2-2 after 90 minutes. City won 4-3 on penalties.
Who scored City's winning penalty? Rayan Cherki. Gerónimo Rulli had earlier saved from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk.
Did Haaland play against Brighton? No. He was not in the squad.
Who do Man City play in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals? Bradford City, at the Etihad, in the week of 14 December.
