Manchester City qualified for the quarter-finals of the League Cup in England after a dramatic success against Brighton at the “Etihad“. Regular time ended 2:2, and in the penalty shootout “citizens“ won 4:3, with goalkeeper Jeronimo Rui becoming the big hero with two saved performances.
The hosts had to catch up twice in the score, and the match offered many controversial moments, dangerous situations and a tense final.
In the 24th minute, Manchester City had serious claims for a penalty. Malik Yalkue brought down Rico Lewis in the penalty area, but referee Andy Madley allowed play to continue. Replays showed that the Brighton player had not played the ball, but at this stage of the tournament, the VAR system was not used.
Six minutes later, the visitors took the lead. Jack Hinshelwood found Jorginho Rueter in the penalty area, and the striker's shot deflected off Yalkue and, after contact with Jeronimo Rui, the ball went into the goal. City players had claims for offside, but the goal stood.
„The Citizens“ managed to restore parity in the 40th minute. Phil Foden passed to Mateo Kovacic, who with a precise shot into the bottom corner beat the Brighton goalkeeper to make it 1-1.
Just two minutes into the second half, however, the visitors took the lead again. Malik Yalkue brought Hajam down the left flank, and the subsequent pass found Jorginho Rueter, who scored his second goal of the match from close range to make it 1:2.
In the 59th minute, Rueter was close to another goal, but this time Rui intervened brilliantly and deflected the ball into the crossbar. A minute later, the striker again overcame the Argentine goalkeeper, but from a small angle he failed to find the outline of the goal and sent the ball to the outside of the net.
Manchester City's pressure paid off in the 73rd minute. Ryan Sherkey executed a direct free kick, the ball ricocheted off Vitor Reis and flew into Jason Steele's goal. The goal was recorded in the name of the Brazilian defender, and the score became 2:2.
The drama continued in the final part of the match. In the 75th minute, Pascal Gross sent the ball into the home team's net, but the goal was disallowed due to Rütter being offside during the attack.
Four minutes later, Maxime de Kuyper also scored with a long-range cross, but the referee had already stopped the game and the goal was not recognized. The score remained unchanged until the end and the winner had to be determined after the execution of penalties.
In the penalty kicks, Manchester City players showed stronger nerves and won 4:3. Phil Foden, Enzo Fernandez, Jeremy Doku and Ryan Sherkey realized their performances, while Mateo Kovacic missed.
For Brighton, Pascal Gross, Matt O'Reilly and Maxime de Kuyper were accurate. Yacine Ayari and Lewis Dunk, however, were unable to overcome Jeronimo Rui, who with his two saves ensured City's continuation in the tournament.
Thus the “citizens“ guaranteed a place among the top eight in the League Cup after a tough clash in which the character and performance of the goalkeeper proved decisive.