MANCHESTER: Manchester City reached the League Cup quarter-finals after beating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-3 on penalties, although manager Enzo Maresca admitted his team had not practised the penalty shootout since the start of the season.

Goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli emerged as the hero when he saved two penalty kicks to help the defending champions overcome Brighton after the two teams were tied 2-2 in the fourth round match at the Etihad Stadium early this morning.

Rulli denied Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk’s shots to ensure City continued their progress to the last eight, thus easing the pressure after their first defeat in the English Premier League (EPL) this season.

Phil Foden, Enzo Fernandez, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki each converted their shots for City, while Mateo Kovacic failed to convert his chances.

“Honestly, since I’ve been here, we’ve never practiced penalties,” said Maresca, who took over from Pep Guardiola last summer.

He was, however, satisfied with the composure of his players when facing the situation, including Kovacic who scored the first goal in the match before failing to convert a penalty kick.

In the intense action, Brighton first took the lead through Malick Yalcouye before Kovacic equalized before the break in the first half.

Georginio Rutter put Brighton back in front early in the second half, but City ensured the match went to penalties when Vitor Reis converted Cherki’s free-kick.

Maresca also praised Doku’s contribution, which made an impact after being included as a substitute, while stressing that every player must take advantage of the opportunity whether they are in the starting lineup or from the bench.

The victory was important for City after they lost to Aston Villa in the EPL last Saturday, thus ending their perfect start to the league this season.

City will now turn their attention to the quarter-final against Bradford City, a third-tier club, with the chance of progressing to the semi-finals wide open.

At the same time, the club is still awaiting the outcome of an appeal against a finding of guilty regarding breaches of EPL financial regulations, a case that could potentially carry severe penalties if their appeal is rejected.

Despite facing a busy schedule, Maresca does not regret his decision to rest several key players, including Erling Haaland, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Ruben Dias, Elliot Anderson and Josko Gvardiol.

The manager made nine changes to the starting line-up and described the performances of the players given the opportunity as very satisfactory.

He also praised Rulli, who took over from Donnarumma, especially his composure as he helped City build their attack and made several important saves throughout the match.

MANCHESTER: Manchester United’s top brass are holding talks about the possibility of sacking Michael Carrick after the humiliating 0-3 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford.

United CEO Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox arrived at the Carrington training centre today, despite most of the players being given the day off.

Team captain Bruno Fernandes was also present at Carrington for treatment, although the first squad did not train.

Fernandes was left out of the starting line-up against Bournemouth after reportedly questioning Carrick’s tactics following the 1-4 defeat to Como in midweek.

He, however, remained on the bench and was not used in the latest defeat.

It is understood that United’s hierarchy held internal discussions on Sunday night about the next steps, but they have yet to reach an agreement on a compensation package with Carrick’s agent.

Carrick had a brief chat with Berrada and Wilcox after the defeat to Bournemouth before leaving the stadium.

The defeat was United’s sixth in 12 games in all competitions and increased the pressure on Carrick who now faces the possibility of losing his job.

Several candidates have been considered as replacements, including Julian Nagelsmann and Eddie Howe. Both are reportedly being monitored by United, while former Tottenham and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is also open to the possibility of a move if a concrete offer is made.

However, United reportedly have reservations about appointing Conte and have so far not made an official approach to the Italian coach.

Howe, who left Newcastle United in July, is said to be monitoring developments at Old Trafford following the possibility of United offering him the position.

Meanwhile, Nagelsmann has the support of United’s Director of Recruitment, Christopher Vivell, who previously worked with him at Red Bull.

Nagelsmann, 39, is reportedly interested in taking over at United after leaving his post as Germany coach last summer.

In a related development, Carrick’s future is increasingly in question after United only won two of their previous 11 matches and are now facing great pressure following the team’s poor performance.

Carrick previously insisted that he did not expect to be sacked and wanted to continue with his duties as usual.

“I didn’t expect anything, to be honest. I’m going to carry on as usual and I love this club,” he said after the defeat to Bournemouth.

MANCHESTER: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes questioned his team’s tactical approach after being thrashed 1-4 by Como in the Champions League early this morning, describing the players as having lost their spirit after conceding early.

Como opened the scoring as early as the second minute before United continued to struggle throughout the match, with Joshua Zirkzee’s consolation goal in injury time only reducing the margin of defeat.

Fernandes said that United failed to put enough pressure on the opponent and lacked movement without the ball, thus allowing Como to dominate the game.

“We started with the wrong foot and they scored too early. The pressure on the players with the ball was not enough and the movement without the ball was not very good either.

“The decision not to apply one-on-one pressure was the coaching staff’s choice.

“There are times when we leave space behind and wait for them to bring the ball, but when you give space to a team like this, they will become more confident,” he told TNT Sports.

When asked whether his statement was a criticism of manager Michael Carrick’s tactics, Fernandes said the matter needed to be assessed by the manager and coaching staff.

“Sometimes we need to be braver when under pressure, take the risk of putting on high pressure and making the opponent uncomfortable,” he said.

The defeat has added pressure on Carrick as United have now failed to record a win in seven consecutive matches.

Carrick admitted his team’s performance was unacceptable and insisted that everyone must take responsibility, including himself.

“As a supporter of this club, seeing a performance like that is unacceptable.

“I am responsible for the team and the overall performance. I also have to apologise for the performance,” he said.

The 45-year-old manager also admitted that United failed to show the intensity, motivation and purpose of the game that they should have.

United now have three points after three Champions League matches and will face AS Roma in their next match.

LONDON: Manchester United manager Michael Carrick saw the 1-1 draw against Leeds United as a new beginning for his team, despite their ongoing winless streak.

United failed to end their winless run after Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin equalised in the second half, cancelling out Bryan Mbeumo’s opening goal in the Premier League (EPL) at Elland Road last night.

The result means United have now failed to win in six consecutive matches across all competitions, adding to the pressure on Carrick, who is already facing criticism.

However, the manager saw positive developments in his team’s performance, five days after a 0-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League that prompted Lisandro Martinez to criticize the club’s management over a lack of investment in the summer transfer window.

“We don’t want to get too carried away because we didn’t win this game. However, I think if we continue to do the right things for the right reasons, eventually we will get the results we deserve.

“To be honest, today feels like a new beginning in terms of accepting the current situation and trying to change it,” said Carrick.

He also praised the players’ commitment, which he described as showing their determination to rise up and help each other for the sake of the team.

“It’s clear that the players are so eager to do their best for each other and they appreciate the opportunity to represent this club. I’ve seen real determination among the players over the past few days,” he said.

United now travel to Como early Thursday morning, looking for their first win since their Champions League opener against Sabah last month, before hosting Bournemouth in the Premier League.

The club are currently in 13th place in the league, with their lowest winning record at this stage of a top-flight campaign since the 1986-87 season.

Carrick admitted he was aware that United’s current position was far from satisfactory, but believed his team could still turn things around.

“We don’t think everything is perfect. I’m realistic about the situation.

“There are times when we struggle and need to find a way to overcome it.

“I understand that this situation does not look very good from a certain perspective, but I do not doubt our ability to record a string of positive results,” he said.

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Luis Enrique believes Manchester City deserved to win the trophy they won and should be allowed to keep it, despite the English club facing possible punishment after being found to have breached the Premier League’s financial regulations.

The Premier League has accused City of using “fake” commercial contracts as part of a plan to boost revenue and reduce reported costs by more than 900 million pounds.

City, which has denied any wrongdoing and has appealed the decision, faces possible punishments ranging from fines and points deductions to relegation to a lower division and the stripping of the title it won.

Asked about the decision ahead of PSG’s Champions League clash with City, Luis Enrique said: “The first thing when you hear the news is that it’s a shock. But I think we have to respect the process and wait for the final decision.

“There are authorities responsible for making that decision and we have to wait. However, if I’m just talking about football and what I’ve seen on the pitch, Manchester City definitely deserve to win the trophy.

“I like the way they play football. After that, we have to wait for the final result and there is nothing else that can be done.

“I think trophies won on the pitch should remain with the team that won them, and they deserve it. I hope they can avoid that punishment.”

City will welcome PSG to the Etihad Stadium early tomorrow morning.