Brighton 2 Manchester City 2 (aet, Brighton won 5-3 on pens):BRIGHTON's Glenn Murray snatched an 89th minute equaliser to shock Manchester City after Swiss star Gelson Fernandes's 64th-minute strike had looked enough to put the Premier League side on the road to the third round of the League Cup.
And defiant Brighton later completed Mark Hughes's misery by prevailing on penalties following an absorbing rich versus poor struggle in front of a record Withdean Stadium crowd of 8,729.
Joe Anyinsah gave Brighton a shock lead five minutes into extra time when he turned smartly inside the penalty area to fire past City 'keeper Kasper Schmeichel.
But in the second half of extra-time Stephen Ireland appeared to have thrown Manchester City a lifeline when he availed of hesitancy in the Brighton defence to storm through and grab the equaliser.
Earlier Brighton's Steve Thomson struck a post in the 21st minute while City - without big money signing Robinho - wasted chances through Jo, Richard Dunne and Michael Johnson before Fernandes struck from Jo's pass. But Murray forced extra-time, jabbing home after Thomson's shot was parried by City Kasper Schmeichel.
Hughes made seven changes from the starting XI who thrashed a sorry Portsmouth side 6-0 on Sunday. Forward Jo kept his place but compatriot Robinho was reportedly moving house and could not make the trip to the south coast.
It took until the 15th minute for either side to have a shot and Daniel Sturridge's weak 20-yard effort was easily saved by former Dutch marine Michel Kuipers.
The post came to City's rescue as Brighton upped their game. Captain Steve Thomson went scampering through and beat Schmeichel with a right-footed shot but the ball cannoned back off the right-hand post.
Jo should have opened the scoring in the 31st minute but Kuipers did well to come off his line and block the shot from 15 yards. Jo then blasted the ball high and wide from 20 yards with the goal at his mercy. Vincent Kompany then had an even worse miss as his right-footed shot from 20 yards went 20 yards high and wide.
But the paupers from the south coast ended up showing the richest club in the world that money cannot always buy success.
Guardian Service
BRIGHTON:Kuipers, Whing (Cook 85), El-Abd, Thomson, Richards, Livermore, Murray, Loft (Anyinsah 68), Fraser (Cox 74), Virgo, Elphick. Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Hart, Robinson, Wills. Booked: Livermore, El-Abd.
MANCHESTER CITY:Schmeichel, Zabaleta, Dunne, Ben-Haim, Michael Ball, Kompany, Ireland, Johnson (Elano 102), Gelson, Sturridge (Evans 60), Jo (Caicedo 91). Subs Not Used: Hart, Garrido, Hamann, Logan. Att: 8,729
Ref:Andy D'Urso (Essex).
