Man City vs Brentford ends in a narrow win for the hosts as Erling Haaland capitalizes on defensive error
Man City vs Brentford: An Overview
Defending Premier League champions Manchester City hosted Brentford at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday, February 20.
The hosts entered this game on the back of an incredible run of form. They were unbeaten in their last seven games across competitions prior to this fixture. During that run, the Cityzens scored 16 goals as they looked a formidable force once again. Their last game was an entertaining 1-1 draw with Chelsea which unfortunately saw them lose ground in the title race. However, a win against Brentford would put them right back on course.
The visitors, on the other hand, entered this contest on the back of three defeats and two wins in their last five games. During this run, they scored nine goals but conceded 12 goals as they slowly slipped down the table. Their last game was a 4-1 mauling by Liverpool at home and Thomas Frank’s men knew that kind of performance would not do against City.
Man City vs Brentford Top Goal Scorer: Match Analysis
City secured a narrow 1-0 win against the Bees at home, climbing up to second place in the table as a result. Now, they are one point behind Liverpool (57) in first and one ahead of Arsenal (55) in third place. Meanwhile, Thomas Frank’s men are 14th with 25 points from as many games.
The first half saw the hosts expend tremendous amounts of energy as they tried to impose themselves on Brentford. The kept the ball for 68% of the time and were hungry to create chances and enter the final third.
Despite getting the better of the Bees’ defence multiple times, Manchester City were wasteful in front of goal. Just six of their 17 first-half attempts were on target, with Mark Flekken saving all. The teams were deadlocked goalless at the break.
The second half saw City take some more risks as they looked to open the scoring. They kept the ball for longer with 71% possession and were also more efficient in shooting as five of their eight shots were on target.
Erling Haaland scored the only goal of the game in the 71st minute after Julian Alvarez played him through on goal. However, Haaland was massively helped by compatriot and opponent Kristoffer Ajer’s slip, which gave him a clear run at goal.
Manchester City held their nerve and shut up shop to protect their slender lead and secure victory. That said, let’s take a look at the top performers from the game.
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Man City vs Brentford Top Performers
Mark Flekken | Brentford | 9.5/10
If not for the Dutch custodian, Brentford would have lost this game by a cricket score considering how potent City looked in spells. He made five saves in the first period and added four more in the second to cap off a wonderful individual display.
He also played a remarkable 15 long balls as his distribution is slowly improving to PL standard. Flekken was also booked for a foul deep into second-half stoppage time.
Rodri | Manchester City | 9/10
Rodri was colossal in central midfield for City as he passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including five key passes. He also won 11 duels and made four clearances, one interception and one tackle in the process.
The Spaniard also attempted two half-hearted shots. One was with his left foot, while the other was an ambitious-headed effort with both sailing fairly wide of the target. He completed two dribbles and had a total of 126 touches in the game.
Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 8/10
Haaland had a good game up front and was busy for most of his time on the pitch. He attempted six shots, with four of those on target while the other two were blocked.
He scored his 17th goal of the season in just his 19th start with a smart finish past Flekken. Haaland also won two duels and made one clearance.
Man City vs Brentford: Match Point
It was probably the fourth game running that Manchester City have attempted a head-scratching number of shots in a match. However, the number of goals scored tells a different story altogether.
City were lucky to walk away with a win, let alone a result. Brentford were set up well but individual error and complacency turned out to be their downfall.
Frank’s men will need to introspect and work on their concentration levels if they are to avoid being anywhere near the relegation zone.
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