Manchester City defeated Brighton in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup to advance to the last eight. The match ended 2-2 and there was no extra time, with City winning 4-3 on penalties. The match was held on the 28th between Manchester City and Brighton, and both teams had high expectations.
Brighton took the lead in the 30th minute of the first half. Diego Gomez sent a looping pass from the right flank, which Jack Hinshelwood kept and passed the ball to Georginio Rutter. Georginio sent the ball inside for a shot, which was met by Malick Yarkue with his right foot to give Brighton a 1-0 lead. Manchester City claimed offside, but due to the lack of VAR, it was ruled onside and the away team took the lead.
In the 40th minute of the first half, Manchester City spilled the ball on the right side, and Phil Foden cut in and dropped it into the middle, where Mateo Kovacic caught the lead with a mid-range shot to make it 1-1. In the second half, Brighton took the lead again, making it 1-2. In the 14th minute of the second half, Georginio tried to score with his left foot following a drop from Yarcué, but Geronimo Luzi made a great save. City scored a free kick in the 27th minute of the second half, making it 2-2.
The match was undecided after 90 minutes and no extra time was played, leading to a penalty final. City's fourth kicker, Kovacic, was stopped by goalkeeper Jason Steele. Brighton's fourth kicker, Yasin Ayari, was also stopped by Luzi, and Luzi perfectly read and stopped the shot of their fifth kicker, defender Lewis Dunk. In the end, City won 4-3 and advanced to the last eight of the Carabao Cup.
The Carabao Cup 2026-27 special feature is full of information about soccer, including a guide to overseas teams and the podcast "Boke Saka." In the upcoming matches, it will be interesting to see how Manchester City will compete in the top eight.