Rulli finally makes his Manchester City debut, ten years after signing, and keeps a clean sheet

Gerónimo Rulli had to wait ten years to pull on a Manchester City jersey in an official match. And when the moment finally came, he made the most of it: a clean sheet and a 5-0 rout of Norwich City in the Carabao Cup.

The Argentine goalkeeper, who came through the youth ranks at Estudiantes, started in a match City controlled from start to finish. It wasn't a demanding night for him in the strictest sense, but he stayed sharp every time Norwich dared to venture near his box. He showed confidence coming off his line and displayed the quick reactions that define his game, getting ahead of opposing forwards and snuffing out danger before it could turn into a real problem.

There was even an odd moment when Rulli himself was put under pressure by one of his own teammates: Vitor Reis played a weak pass that could have set up a Norwich counterattack, but the goalkeeper read the situation well and cleared things up without any drama.

As for the match itself, City left no doubt about who deserved the win. Samba scored twice, while Cherki, Allan and McAidoo also got on the scoresheet to round out a lopsided scoreline.

A decade-long wait

Rulli's story with City goes back a long way. The goalkeeper signed with the English club in 2016, but never made his debut back then: he was sent out on loan to Real Sociedad and built his career from there across different corners of European football. He went on to play for Montpellier, Villarreal, Ajax and Olympique de Marseille, gaining experience and turning in strong performances that kept him on the radar of major clubs across the continent.

His return to Manchester City marked a new opportunity, though one that required patience. To start the season he found himself behind Gianluigi Donnarumma in the pecking order, meaning he had to wait his turn for official minutes with the team.

That turn finally came in the Carabao Cup, and Rulli responded the way he usually does: solid, untroubled and without conceding a goal. It's a first step that lets him start building match fitness and competing for a spot on a roster where Donnarumma remains, for now, the main option between the posts.