Manchester City vs Brentford Preview
- City to win
- Haaland to score
Manchester City’s Dominant Start
It’s a familiar story for Manchester City as they kick off the new season with a perfect record, winning their first three Premier League games for the second consecutive year.
City are looking to take another step towards matching last season’s six-game winning streak to start the campaign when they host Brentford at the Etihad Stadium. With 12 consecutive Premier League wins under their belt, all by at least a two-goal margin, City’s dominance seems almost routine.
While City have shown their ability to dispatch teams comfortably, they have only managed multi-goal wins against Brentford in two of their six previous Premier League meetings (W4, L2).
However, given their formidable home record—unbeaten in 31 league games at the Etihad (W25, D6)—City will be confident of securing another victory.
It’s worth noting, though, that Brentford were the last team to beat City in a Premier League match at the Etihad, back in November 2022.
Brentford’s Challenge
Brentford, coming off a solid start to the season (W2, L1), travel to Manchester with some degree of confidence, but they know they face a daunting task.
Last season saw the Bees finish a disappointing 16th, their worst-ever Premier League finish. This season, they will need to find a way to fill the void left by Ivan Toney, who departed for Saudi Arabia in a big-money move.
Defensive issues have plagued Brentford in away matches, as they’ve managed just one clean sheet in their last 15 Premier League road games (W3, D1, L11).
Furthermore, they’ve never kept a clean sheet against a North West-based team in their Premier League history, which doesn’t bode well for a trip to the Etihad, where City’s attacking prowess is unrivalled.
Players to Watch
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Haaland continues to break records, having scored seven goals in the first three Premier League matches this season, becoming the first player in league history to do so.
Notably, four of his goals have come before the 20th minute, making him an early threat. Haaland scored a hat-trick against West Ham in his last outing, and he will be looking to continue his incredible form against Brentford.
Haaland also netted a hat-trick the last time he faced Brentford defender Nathan Collins at the Etihad.
Nathan Collins (Brentford)
Brentford’s defence will rely heavily on Nathan Collins to keep Haaland and Manchester City quiet.
However, Collins has a tough history against City, having lost all four of his previous meetings with the reigning champions and even receiving a red card in one of those encounters in 2022. He’ll need to be at his best if Brentford are to avoid another heavy defeat.
Conclusion
Manchester City will enter this fixture as clear favourites, with their imperious home form and the incredible goal-scoring prowess of Erling Haaland.
Brentford, despite a decent start to the season, will have their work cut out for them, especially given their defensive struggles away from home.
With City chasing a sixth consecutive win to start the season, it’s hard to see anything other than a home victory.
Prediction: Manchester City to win comfortably, with Haaland likely to add to his already impressive goal tally.
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