Enzo Maresca, coach of Manchester City, praised the performance of the team's goalkeeper, Argentine Jeronimo Rulli, after his excellent performance in the penalty shootout that led the Sky team to a dramatic victory over Brighton in the fourth round of the League Cup.
Manchester City came back from falling behind twice in an enthusiastic confrontation at the Etihad Stadium, which ended in a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes, and the shootout drama began, and when Brighton's goalkeeper blocked Mateo Kovacic's third kick for City, the advantage suddenly shifted to the team nicknamed "The Seagulls."
But Rowley, who was only in his second appearance with Manchester City, made two stunning saves in a row against Yassine Ayari and then Louis Dunk to seal the victory 4-3 on penalties for the Marisca team.
Manchester City's reward was qualifying to face Bradford at home in the round of 8, as the coach believes that this performance is the least that Rulli deserves, despite his confirmation that Italian starting goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will take over the goalkeeper against Brighton also in the English Premier League, the day after tomorrow (Saturday).
Maresca said: “Apart from the penalty shootouts, Rolly’s performance in general was very good. “The match was not easy because they follow a man-to-man style with great ferocity.” The Italian coach added: “In the first half, we relied on long balls towards Floyd, and in the second half, we played on the ground, and he also made a wonderful save during the match. “It was truly excellent.” Maresca explained in his statements, which were reported on the official website of Manchester City: “He works hard, but he knows his role completely without any doubt. On Saturday, Donnarumma will play in addition to 10 other players.” Maresca also revealed that the team had not specifically trained for penalty kicks since he took charge before achieving this result, as he said: “Since I came here, we have not trained for them at all.” Maresca concluded his speech by saying: “They all shoot well, but the strange thing is that the player who scored during the match (Kovacic) was the one who missed the penalty kick. “I am happy with the way we planned the match, with the rotation, and I am very happy with the players’ performance on the field.”
Japanese Naomi Osaka, ranked 18th in the world, bid farewell to the Tokyo Tennis Tournament in the quarter-finals, losing to the young Slovakian Mia Bohankova (144) with a score of 3-6, 5-7 on Thursday. Osaka, the winner of four Grand Slam titles, has not won any title this year, and has not reached the final of a major tournament since her return to the tennis courts after a 15-month absence following the birth of her daughter, Shay, in 2023. The former world number one said that she will continue to “try” to return to her best level with which she won major tournaments, after her season ended with a second-round exit in Japan, on Thursday. The 29-year-old added that she is “at peace” with herself and feels good about her game. She continued: “But if you ask me how I see my level of tennis, I think it is very good.” Osaka participated in the Pan Pacific Open for the first time in four years. She took to the court wearing a red kimono-style dress with a long ruffled train. Osaka is known for grabbing headlines with her bold, custom-made fashions. Osaka started the match with an ace, but Bohankova, the former Wimbledon junior women's champion, quickly turned the tables on her. The Slovakian, who says she grew up watching Osaka, broke her opponent three times to take the first set and continued the momentum to win the match. Bohankova hit 7 aces, and Osaka said, “It is difficult to play against a player I know nothing about.” She said: “It's a little difficult, but I also remember when I was in her position and I was playing against players I was watching on TV.” In another match, Canadian Laila Fernandez reached the quarter-finals after defeating Belgian Elise Mertens, seeded fifth, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8).
The reward for Iraola, Liverpool's coach, came after defeating Chelsea on penalties, by facing his former team Bournemouth in the eighth round of the English Professional Football League Cup (Carabao Cup), a team he had hoped to avoid facing. After Morgan Rogers and Cody Khakpo exchanged goals from two penalty kicks for the two teams late in the first half, the match went to penalty kicks, after normal time ended in a 1-1 draw, where Joe Gomez, who had not scored a goal in 280 matches he played with Liverpool, succeeded in scoring the decisive kick, and his club decided the match with a score of 6-5. This season has already witnessed a series of emotional meetings for Iraola; He faced his friend and former colleague Iñigo Perez in the Champions League, then met his Basque compatriot Xabi Alonso, with whom he has had a close relationship since childhood. He also achieved victory in his first return to the Vitality Stadium. The stronghold of the Bournemouth team, in the English Premier League, when the red team won 1-0 over the team nicknamed “The Cherry Blossoms” last September. Despite his desire not to repeat such confrontations soon, the draw pitted Liverpool into a new confrontation with its guest, Bournemouth, with one advantage; The match will be held at Anfield. Iraola said in statements reported by the British News Agency (PA Media): “Before the draw was made, I said that the only team I do not want to face is Bournemouth.” The Liverpool coach added: “For me; It has a special character. They know me well, they have been performing wonderfully recently, and they are going through a special phase. But this is the reality.” He continued: “We were not lucky in the draw, as we faced Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and now Bournemouth, which is a confrontation that will undoubtedly be special for me.” He added: “We must deserve to qualify for the semi-finals, and I hope that we will succeed in achieving that here on our home soil again.” He stressed: “In cup tournaments, the most important thing is to qualify for the next round and remain in the competition. Fortunately for us, we prevailed in the penalty shootout.” Iraola concluded his speech by saying: “We are happy because the players made a great effort today. We were rewarded by advancing to the round of 8.”
As for Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool midfielder, this was his third successive defeat at Anfield since the start of his coaching career, as he previously lost with German Bayer Leverkusen and Spanish Real Madrid without his team being able to score any goal. “Absolutely,” said the former Spain international, who actually fielded his strongest possible lineup. The result is not what we wanted, and not what we expected before the match.” He continued: “Once we reached the penalty shootout, it was inevitable that we would see a sad scene. “We performed very well competitively, showed improvement, and played with courage.” Alonso concluded: “It is a minor setback, and perhaps it is the least important championship for us. So; We must move forward. “Once we leave Anfield, our focus will be on the English Premier League the day after tomorrow, Saturday, in the match we will play at home against Manchester United.”
