Rulli saves two, Cherki scores winner as Man City edge Brighton on penalties
Manchester City beat Brighton 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to reach the League Cup quarter-finals, where they will host third-tier Bradford. Liverpool host Bournemouth and Fleetwood await Everton or Newcastle.
Archive image · Photo: Bryan Berlin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Manchester City scraped into the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, twice coming from behind against Brighton & Hove Albion. Malick Yalcouye struck in the 30th minute and Georginio Rutter in the 47th for the visitors, with Mateo Kovacic levelling in the 40th and Rayan Cherki's free kick, deflected in off City's Vitor Reis, making it 2-2 in the 73rd. Kovacic missed City's first spot kick, but stand-in goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli saved from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk in the shootout before Cherki converted the decisive penalty for a 4-3 win.
Brighton were the better side for most of the night, according to Sky Sports, and City never led in normal time. Enzo Maresca, who rested five key players, conceded: "We could have done better defensively." Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler said: "We had enough chances to win this game." The teams meet again in the Premier League on Saturday.
The quarter-final draw was made after Wednesday's games, with ties to be played in the week starting Dec. 14. City host third-tier Bradford City, Liverpool welcome Bournemouth after beating Chelsea on penalties, and Crystal Palace face Sunderland. Fourth-tier Fleetwood Town, who knocked out Arsenal, will play the winner of Thursday night's Everton-Newcastle tie.