Suffering more than expected, Manchester City completes its mission: win and get back close to the Premier League leader, namely Liverpool. It ends 1-0 for Guardiola’s team, and it is a hard-earned success. The first half ends without goals, with City creating more obvious scoring opportunities and Brentford certainly not standing by and watching. And when it seems that the match is headed towards a surprising draw, Erling Haaland emerges and takes Guardiola’s chestnuts out of the fire with about twenty minutes to go. By the way: also beating the Bees, the Norwegian has scored against all the opponents he has faced in his year and a half in the Premier League, 21 out of 21. As for City, as mentioned, they are always there: the reigning champions overtake Arsenal in second place and move back to -1 behind Liverpool. The three-way battle continues.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Brentford FC.
Scoreboard
Manchester City-Brentford 1-0 (primo tempo 0-0)
Manchester City (4-1-4-1): Ederson; Walker, Stones, Ruben Dias; Rodri; Foden, Bernardo Silva, Alvarez (89′ Kovacic), Bobb (61′ Doku); Haaland. All. Guardiola
Brentford (3-5-2): The spot; Jorgensen, Ajer, Mee; Roerslev (89′ Ghoddos), Onyeka (89′ Damsgaard), Norgaard, Janelt (78′ Jensen), Reguilon (78′ Lewis-Potter); Toney, Wissa (68′ Maupay). Everything. Frank
Ammonites: Stones, Mee, Wissa, Toney, Walker, Flekken
The news in 7 key moments
16′ – Onyeka flies into City’s half, alone, towards Ederson: his right-footed shot ends up in the hands of the Brazilian.
34′ – Rodri hits the far post, heads it to Bernardo Silva, who sensationally misses the target from a few meters with his header.
37′ – Beautiful feint in the area by Bobb, who takes the ball to the right and places it towards the goal: Flekken is beaten, but Mee appears on the line and clears it.
71′ – MANCHESTER CITY GOAL. Haaland is launched by Alvarez, darts towards Flekken taking advantage of a slip from Ajer, and makes no mistakes with his left foot in front of the goalkeeper. 1-0.
Erling Haaland (Manchester City) scores against Brentford
80′ – Rodri launches Walker as in the first half, volleys to Haaland, who heads into an empty net. All in vain: goal disallowed for offside by Walker.
88′ – Great left foot from Foden and a splendid response in the corner from Flekken, who saves himself in the air.
91′ – Another wonderful personal action by Foden, but Flekken closes him in the corner at the moment of the winning left-footed shot with the goal half-empty.
The social moment
21 on 21: Victim collection completed for Erling Haaland.
The best
Erling HAALAND. He doesn’t play a great game, far from it. But he has the enormous merit of scoring a fundamental goal for City.
The worst
Christopher AJER. The slide that opens the way for Haaland to make it 1-0 is as unfortunate as it is clumsy. Fatal carelessness.
Klopp: “The transfer market in Arabia lasts 3 weeks longer. UEFA and FIFA intervene”