Enzo Maresca has ended any talk of a goalkeeping switch at Man City: Gerónimo Rulli’s two shootout saves against Brighton have not changed the pecking order, and Gianluigi Donnarumma will start when the sides meet again in the Premier League on Saturday.
Rulli was the hero on Wednesday night, saving the last two Brighton penalties as Manchester City beat the Seagulls 4-3 in a shootout after a 2-2 draw at the Etihad, setting up a home Carabao Cup quarter-final against League One side Bradford City. Donnarumma watched from the stands.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Argentina international is no closer to taking the No.1 shirt, despite the night he had. Maresca made that very clear after the game.
Donnarumma stays Man City No.1 for Brighton
Maresca praised Rulli but left no room for doubt about Saturday’s league game at the Etihad, which kicks off at 3pm. “He is working well but Rulli knows exactly his role, there is no doubt about that. Saturday it will be Gigio plus 10,” the City boss said.
That is a big show of faith in Donnarumma. The Italian is one of City’s four captains this season, but he has made several errors in recent weeks, the most costly at Villa Park on Saturday when a shot from Nicolas Jackson squirmed under him in City’s first Premier League defeat of the season.
What Maresca said about Rulli
Maresca was happy with Rulli’s all-round display, not only the penalties. He said: “Apart from the penalties, overall he was good.” He also pointed to his work in possession against a Brighton side that went man to man.
“It was not easy because they are a team that go man to man and are aggressive,” Maresca explained. “In the first half, we tried some long solutions with Floyd [Samba] and then in the second half we tried on the floor with Phil [Foden]. He made one good save and was good.”
How Rulli turned the shootout
Rulli made a number of saves in normal time to keep City in the game, and then the shootout swung his way. City were up against it when Mateo Kovačić missed their fourth penalty, but Rulli saved from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk to send the Blues through. You can relive the whole night in our Man City 2-2 Brighton report.
Why Rulli was signed by Man City
Rulli arrived in the summer as the replacement for James Trafford, who left for Leeds after failing to challenge Donnarumma for the gloves under Pep Guardiola. Trafford and Donnarumma had both joined in the same transfer window, and only one of them was ever going to play.
Rulli’s job is a clearer one. He gets the cup games, as he did on Wednesday, and Donnarumma gets the league. Maresca’s comments suggest one shootout will not change that.
Is Donnarumma’s Man City place safe?
For now, yes, and I think Maresca is right. Dropping your captain and first-choice keeper after a run of mistakes, just because his deputy had a good cup night, would send the wrong message to a dressing room that sits top of the Premier League on 21 points, level with Arsenal.
But “Gigio plus 10” also puts the spotlight back on Donnarumma. Brighton come to the Etihad on Saturday, and another error against them would make Rulli’s claim much harder to ignore. A clean, calm afternoon is exactly what the Italian needs.
