Rulli Rises to the Occasion as Man City Draws with Brighton
Geronimo Rulli knows how to shine in high-pressure situations. In the Carabao Cup clash against Brighton, his penalty shootout heroics left some wondering about Gianluigi Donnarumma’s starting role at Manchester City, but manager Enzo Maresca isn't swayed.
Rulli returned to City this summer from Marseille for a reasonable £1.7 million, taking on the role of backup to the Italian star. However, after an impressive display, he might just be making a case for more minutes.
The 34-year-old keeper executed two brilliant saves, diving to his left to thwart Brighton’s Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk, securing City’s place in the quarter-finals after a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Had it not been for Rulli’s fingertip save against Georginio Rutter in the second half, the match could have ended differently. Yet, despite his impressive performance, Rulli is set to return to the bench for this weekend's Premier League fixture against Brighton, with Donnarumma still the main man despite some recent scrutiny.
When asked if Rulli’s performance puts pressure on Donnarumma, Maresca confidently told BBC Sport, "No, absolutely not from my point of view. He is working well but Rulli knows exactly his role, there is no doubt about that. Saturday it will be Gigio plus 10."
Rulli is no stranger to being the hero in shootouts. Back in the 2021 Europa League final, he not only scored a penalty but also denied Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, sealing the trophy for Villarreal. His decisive actions on Wednesday night have surely endeared him further to City fans.
Having previously spent the 2016-17 season at the club without a first-team appearance, Rulli returned to replace James Trafford, who moved to Leeds for a hefty £45 million. It already looks like a savvy move for City.
Before the match, Maresca praised Rulli for “doing well” and understanding his role as Donnarumma's understudy, a sentiment he echoed post-game. Meanwhile, Donnarumma, alongside Erling Haaland, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson, and Josko Gvardiol, has been granted three days off to recharge, and Maresca hopes he’ll come back ready to train.
Donnarumma faced criticism after being at fault for a goal against Aston Villa last weekend, and Maresca acknowledged that the keeper has been “making some mistakes.” He did, however, commend Rulli’s overall performance, particularly in build-up play, noting the difficulty against Brighton’s aggressive, man-to-man approach.
Maresca made nine changes to the lineup that lost to Aston Villa, a gamble that almost backfired as City found themselves trailing twice to goals from Malick Yalcouye and Georginio Rutter. Yet, they showed resilience, leveling the score through Mateo Kovacic and Vitor Reis.
This match reflects Maresca’s strong start as City manager, with only losses to Villa, Paris Saint-Germain, and Arsenal in the Community Shield. With both Chelsea and Arsenal eliminated from the League Cup, City remains on track to defend their title, next facing Bradford in the quarter-finals.
When asked if this presents a significant chance to go all the way once more, Maresca confidently replied, "Absolutely. It’s a different competition but the ambition has to be the same: this is a new project, new players, a new manager who started three months ago, and we need to do our business and that is winning games. At the moment we are doing that."
