Maresca confirms Donnarumma stays No.1 despite Rulli's Carabao Cup shootout heroics

Enzo Maresca has moved quickly to cool any suggestion that Gerónimo Rulli’s penalty shootout heroics against Brighton could threaten Gianluigi Donnarumma’s place as Manchester City’s first-choice goalkeeper. Rulli saved two spot-kicks to send City into the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, but Maresca confirmed the Italian international will start when the sides meet again in the Premier League on Saturday.

Rulli was handed a rare start in the cup tie and delivered a composed performance throughout, making several saves in normal time before proving decisive in the shootout. City were in danger of elimination when Mateo Kovacic missed their fourth penalty, but back-to-back saves from Rulli turned the tie around and secured a home quarter-final against League One side Bradford.

Despite the display, Maresca was unambiguous about the hierarchy between his two stoppers. “Rulli knows exactly his role, there is no doubt about that,” the City manager said. “Saturday it will be Gigio plus 10.”

Maresca was broadly positive about Rulli’s contribution, noting the challenge posed by Brighton’s aggressive, man-to-man pressing. “Apart from penalties, overall he was good especially in the build-up,” he said. “It was not easy because they are a team that go man to man and are aggressive. He made one good save and was good. He is working well.”

Donnarumma, who watched the Brighton cup tie from the stands, has established himself as one of City’s four captains this season following his arrival under Pep Guardiola. However, the former PSG goalkeeper has attracted scrutiny in recent weeks after a series of errors that have kept him in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

Rulli was signed in the summer as a replacement for James Trafford, who departed for Leeds after finding himself unable to displace Donnarumma when both keepers joined in the same transfer window. The Argentina international has since carved out a role as City’s cup goalkeeper, but Maresca’s comments leave little ambiguity about where the pecking order stands heading into the Premier League run-in.