Manchester City are looking to extend their perfect run in the Premier League this season but will face a challenging task as they come up against an in-form Brentford side.
The West Londoners have continued to thrive under Thomas Frank, collecting six points out of a possible nine, with a London derby victory over Crystal Palace and an accomplished 3-1 win over Southampton.
For Man City, Erling Haaland has once again proved to be an irrepressible force, having already scored seven goals in just three games. The Norwegian will set his sights on a third consecutive hat-trick this weekend, a stat that would be unprecedented in the Premier League era.
Nathan Ake is an injury concern for the hosts as he ended up having to be removed from the field on a stretcher during Netherlands’ Nations league game against Germany.
Read – Erling Haaland doubtful ahead of Man City vs Brentford
Form
Man City: DWWW
City have personified dominance so far in the way we have come accustomed to under the guidance of serial winner Pep Guardiola.
Apart from an early scare at home to Ipswich Town and an accidental Ruben Dias own goal against West Ham, the reigning champions have looked untroubled in all three games.
Haaland’s hat-tricks against West Ham and Ipswich were typically ruthless and the Norwegian is responsible for 78 percent of City’s goals so far.
Guardiola’s players have a big week ahead of them as after this weekend’s match, they welcome Inter Milan and Arsenal to the Etihad.
Brentford: WLWW
The aforementioned victories against Crystal Palace and Southampton have quashed any slight concerns that Thomas Frank’s side will be involved in a relegation battle this year.
The Bees have dealt with the departure of talisman Ivan Toney extremely well; Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbuemo taking responsibility to provide the goals, just like they did in Toney’s absence last campaign.
Their 2-0 defeat to Liverpool only slightly tarnishes their fine start to the season and when you add the fact that they also progressed to the next round of the Carabao Cup, Frank will be immensely proud of how his players have applied themselves so far.
Last Meeting: Manchester City 1-0 Brentford, Premier League, 20 February 2024
A customary Erling Haaland finish was the difference between the two sides when they last went toe-to-toe in Manchester.
Brentford were anything but passengers in the game as they threatened City’s backline on multiple occasions with the fluidity and speed of their front three consisting of Bryan Mbuemo, Yoane Wissa and Ivan Toney.
Bees goalkeeper Marc Flekken made a number of smart stops to deny the Champions and Ben Mee heroically cleared off the line to prevent Oscar Bobb from opening the scoring.
With roughly 20 minutes to go, a costly slip from Nathan Collins saw Haaland bare down on goal and there was only ever going to be one outcome as he slid the ball past Flekken.
Haaland thought he had doubled his tally when he nodded in from two yards, but the goal was chalked off due to an offside infringement.
Much to Pep Guardiola’s relief, the Norwegian’s solitary goal ended up being enough to claim all three points for City at the Etihad.
Predicted Lineups
Manchester City: Ederson, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Lewis, Rodri, Doku, Silva, De Bruyne, Grealish, Haaland
Brentford: Flekken, Roerslev, Mee, Collins, Van den Berg, Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt, Mbuemo, Wissa, Carvalho
Who is the referee?
Darren Bond
What TV channel is Manchester City vs Brentford on?
Manchester City vs Brentford is not available to access live in the United Kingdom.
What time is kick off?
Kick off at the Etihad Stadium is at 15:00 BST on Saturday, 14 August.
Odds
Manchester City: 73/474
Draw: 7/1
Brentford: 14/1
Read – Five of the best Premier League loan signings of the summer
Explained – What is a Premier League Barclaysman?
