Rulli saves send Manchester City through as Maresca backs Donnarumma

Manchester City reached the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after Geronimo Rulli saved Brighton's final two penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium. The holders will face Bradford in the last eight, but manager Enzo Maresca said the goalkeeper's decisive contribution would not change Gianluigi Donnarumma's status as his first choice.

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According to BBC Sport's report from the ground, Rulli stopped spot-kicks from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk to settle the tie. Both saves required the Argentine to dive to his left. He had already kept City in contention during normal time with a fingertip stop to deny Georginio Rutter in the second half.

City had to recover twice after Brighton took the lead through Malick Yalcouye and Rutter. Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis supplied the home side's goals as Maresca's heavily altered team avoided elimination. The manager made nine changes to the starting line-up that had lost to Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

Maresca nevertheless told BBC Sport that Donnarumma would return for the league meeting with Brighton on Saturday. He said Rulli understood his role as the Italian's understudy. The manager also praised Rulli's distribution against opponents who pressed aggressively and used man-to-man marking, highlighting his contribution beyond the shootout saves.

Rulli, 34, returned to City from Marseille in the summer for £1.7 million, the BBC reported. He replaced James Trafford, who moved to Leeds for £45 million. Rulli had previously spent the 2016-17 season at City without making a first-team appearance, making this cup performance a notable moment in his second spell at the club.

The goalkeeper has decided a major final on penalties before. Playing for Villarreal in the 2021 Europa League final against Manchester United, he scored his own spot-kick before saving David de Gea's attempt. Against Brighton, his successive stops again completed a shootout victory, this time keeping City's defence of the League Cup alive.

Donnarumma was among five players given three days off to recover, alongside Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson and Josko Gvardiol. Maresca acknowledged recent mistakes by his first-choice goalkeeper, but his post-match comments made clear that Rulli's cup display had not altered the selection plan for the next league fixture.