A hat-trick from Phil Foden brought Manchester City within two points of leader Liverpool on Monday at Brentford (3-1) at the end of the 23rd day.
This fifth victory in a row is all the more hopeful for the Citizens, who were playing without Manuel Akanji replacing them, as they have a match in hand.
The triple title holders have 49 points, like Arsenal (3rd) who beat Liverpool (1st, 51 pts) the day before, but they have a late match to play on February 20, again against Brentford, an additional cartridge per relation to the competition.
In their stadium, the ‘Bees’ nevertheless stung first thanks to their man in form, the Frenchman Neal Maupay, who went behind the defense on a six-meter from his goalkeeper Mark Flekken and won from his face face to face with Ederson (21st, 0-1).
This is the fifth goal in five matches, in all competitions, in 2024 for the striker on loan from Everton, the best series for the former Niçois and Stéphanois since his arrival in England in 2017.
But a hat-trick from Phil Foden (45th+3, 53rd, 70th) reversed the situation and wiped out the multiple saves made by Flekken.
The Dutch goalkeeper first lost on the 17th Mancunian shot of the first period, the tenth on target, then a cross from Kevin De Bruyne headed by Foden, before the ‘hat-trick’ of the striker 23 years old, served by Erling Haaland.
The Citizens in the process wash away last season’s affront, Brentford being the only team to have beaten them twice in the first leg and the second leg.
Brentford are fifteenth, just three points above the relegation zone, after suffering their seventh defeat in eight matches.
/ATS