Man City Beat Brighton 4-3 on Penalties to Reach Carabao Cup QF

Manchester City booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after beating Brighton 4-3 on penalties at the Etihad Stadium. The match ended 3-3 after extra scrutiny of City's ability to recover, as the holders came back twice during regular time.

City will now travel into the next round against Bradford City, a tie that gives the defending champions another chance to build momentum in the competition.

After the win, manager Enzo Maresca spoke frankly about the shootout. He said that, since his arrival, the team had never practised penalties, a remark that drew attention given the drama of the contest.

Phil Foden, Enzo Fernandez, Jeremy Doku and Ryan Cherki scored from the spot. Matteo Kovacic missed his attempt, but Gerónimo Rulli, the club's backup goalkeeper, stopped efforts from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk to secure the win.

Brighton took the lead through Malick Yalcin in the 30th minute. Kovacic levelled before half-time. Georginio Rutter put the Seagulls ahead again early in the second half, in the 47th minute, before Vitor Reis scored in the 72nd minute to force a penalty shootout.

Doku's appearance from the bench was a turning point for City. Reis later reacted quickly to a Cherki free-kick, adding to the sense that the substitutes made a decisive contribution.

Maresca said that Doku had influenced the match, though he was careful not to overstate the impact. “I am not sure he changed the game, but he definitely influenced it,” he said. “That is why they are there. When they start they try to do their best, and when they come from the bench they try to make an impact.”

City were without several first-choice players, including Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson and Josko Gvardiol, who were given rest.

Maresca expressed great satisfaction with the planning of the game, the rotation of the squad, and the performances of those who featured. “I was very, very, very happy with the way we planned the game, with the rotation, and especially with the players who were playing,” he said.