Rulli's shootout saves seal City progress as Maresca backs Donnarumma
Geronimo Rulli saved two penalties as Manchester City beat Brighton in the Carabao Cup, but Enzo Maresca says Gianluigi Donnarumma remains his number one.
Geronimo Rulli's penalty shootout heroics helped Manchester City see off Brighton and reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, but manager Enzo Maresca insisted the goalkeeper's performance does not change his plans for the Premier League. Rulli, who returned to City in the summer from Marseille for a modest £1.7m as back-up to Gianluigi Donnarumma, saved the final two spot-kicks from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk after the match had ended 2-2 in normal time.
The 34-year-old had also produced a sensational fingertip save to deny Georginio Rutter in the second half, keeping the holders in a tie in which they had twice fallen behind. Malick Yalcouye and Rutter scored for Brighton, while Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis drew City level. Maresca made nine changes to the side beaten at Aston Villa, and he acknowledged afterwards that the gamble almost backfired.
Asked whether Rulli had put pressure on Donnarumma's place, Maresca was emphatic that he had not. The manager said Rulli knows exactly his role at the club, adding that Donnarumma would start against the same opposition in the league on Saturday. Donnarumma was given three days off to recover his energy alongside Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson and Josko Gvardiol after being at fault for Aston Villa's second goal, with Maresca conceding the Italy captain has been making some mistakes.
Rulli is no stranger to shootout success: in the 2021 Europa League final he scored for Villarreal against Manchester United before saving David de Gea's penalty to decide the trophy. He had spent the 2016-17 season at City without a first-team appearance and was brought back to replace James Trafford after the England international joined Leeds for £45m. Maresca said that apart from the penalties Rulli was good overall, particularly in the build-up, against an aggressive, man-marking Brighton side.
City's win keeps alive their bid to retain the competition, with Bradford awaiting in the quarter-finals after Arsenal and Chelsea were knocked out. Maresca, whose only defeats since taking over three months ago have come against Villa, Paris St-Germain and Arsenal in the Community Shield, said the ambition remains the same despite the new project, new players and new manager: winning games, which he said the team is currently doing.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
