Manchester City vs Brentford Report
Scorers: Haaland 19’, 32’; Wissa 1’
Erling Haaland’s double helped Manchester City overcome a spirited Brentford side, securing a 2-1 win and extending their unbeaten home Premier League streak to 32 matches since their defeat to Brentford in November 2022.
Brentford Stun Manchester City Early
The Etihad was left in shock just 22 seconds into the match when Brentford took a surprising lead. John Stones’ attempted clearance of Keane Lewis-Potter’s header fell short, allowing Yoane Wissa to capitalise and head in the earliest goal Manchester City have ever conceded at home in the PL.
Brentford continued to press forward, with Bryan Mbeumo testing Rico Lewis and Nathan Collins forcing a save from Ederson with an instinctive effort.
Haaland Responds to Level the Score
Despite Manchester City’s early struggles, they managed to equalise in the 19th minute. The ball fell to Erling Haaland, whose first-time shot took a slight deflection off Ethan Pinnock, nestling into the far post.
Pinnock almost restored Brentford’s lead with a header that hit the crossbar, but Haaland soon turned the game on its head. Outmuscling Pinnock, he latched onto Ederson’s long ball and deftly chipped it past Mark Flekken, giving City the lead.
Savinho and Jack Grealish had chances to extend the advantage, but a further blow for Brentford came before halftime as Wissa limped off following a challenge from Mateo Kovačić.
Guardiola’s Tactical Tweaks and City’s Control
Pep Guardiola made two changes at the break, including introducing Rodri for his first minutes of the season.
This adjustment allowed Manchester City to assert more control over the game, though they initially failed to seriously test Brentford’s goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Brentford remained dangerous on the counter, but Keane Lewis-Potter squandered a key chance to level the score.
As the game progressed, Flekken was called into action more frequently, denying Grealish’s curling shot and tipping Haaland’s strike over the bar, preventing the Norwegian from securing his third consecutive hat-trick.
Manchester City kept up the pressure, with Kyle Walker grazing the top of the net with a strike from distance and Savinho narrowly missing with another effort.
Late Drama and Haaland’s Near Misses
Haaland came close to a hat-trick late in the match, hitting the post, seeing a follow-up blocked by Collins, and being denied by Flekken once more.
Despite these missed opportunities, City held on for a 2-1 victory, marking their 13th consecutive PL win. Notably, this was the first in that run to be decided by just one goal, a testament to Brentford’s resilient performance.
Brentford’s Resilience and City’s Dominance
Brentford can take some consolation from this narrow defeat, as they have now faced two top-tier teams—Liverpool and Manchester City—resulting in their only two losses from five competitive matches this season.
Manchester City, meanwhile, continue to show their dominance, maintaining an impressive unbeaten home record.
Conclusion
Erling Haaland once again proved his worth with a crucial brace, helping Manchester City maintain their formidable home unbeaten streak.
Despite Brentford’s valiant effort and early lead, City showcased their resilience and quality, securing another three points in their pursuit of Premier League glory.
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