Brentford 1-3 Manchester City: Premier League – as it happened

That’s it from me, thanks for reading, and for your emails and tweets. Congratulations to City and all of Brentford’s relegation rivals, who will have cheered tonight’s result. Commiserations to the Bees, Arsenal and Liverpool, who will have done the opposite.

Cheers!

Phil Foden, our player of the match, speaks:

We stayed calm. We trust our ability. We were playing really well, even at 1-0 down, but we controlled the game. Brentford cause a lot of big teams a lot of problems.

I’m really delighted with my performances. I’m playing a lot of minutes, and more inside, where I want to be. The best form I’ve had in a City shirt in a long while.

It would help if I played one position. But I have to adapt. But I’m enjoying playing in the middle, that’s where I see myself playing the best football. I’m just trying to better my stats from last season.

Manchester City had 15 shots on target, the most any side has had in the Premier League in the past six seasons.

City are now second, two points adrift of Liverpool with a game in hand. It all feels quite familiar.

Brentford remain just three points clear of the relegation zone.

What a night for Phil Foden, the champions’ hat-trick hero. This was a good game, though. City are a winning machine, but they are not unbeatable.

90+4 min: Brentford with a late corner but well defended by City. Gvardiol has been impressive tonight, with an without the ball.

90+2 min: Brentford/Liverpool/Arsenal fans, you can blame this guy.

90 min: Both teams have accepted their fate here. Here’s another exciting substitution to tell you about. Brentford’s Maupey off, Baptiste on.

Five minutes added on.

88 min: While this game is petering out, let’s have an important update from Thomas Stratford.

“As a reinforcement to all the anti-City emails you’re getting, I’m obviously delighted about this having swapped out Foden to bring in Diego Jota for my fantasy football team this last week”.

85 min: City make another sub: Haaland off, Kovacic on. Expect that means that Alvarez will move up to play striker. A reminder that Brentford remain the only one of the 21 Premier League sides that Haaland has faced but not scored against.

83 min: Alvaraz swivels neatly in the box and unleashes a fierce strike with nearly no backlift. Straight at Flekken, who makes his 18,365th save of the night.

81 min: Another change for Brentford: Ajer on for Reguilon. That’s not an attacking sub.

79 min: From a Brentford free-kick, Ederson makes an absurd decision to come 25 yards out of this goal to try to win the ball (a header?). He fails to win the ball, instead barging into Brentford’s Pinnock and teammate Aké. VAR looks at it … no foul. Utterly bizarre all round, and the third time this match Ederson has come needlessly charging off his line. He’s very lucky not to concede from at least one mistake.

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77 min: Three changes for Brentford. Keane Lewis-Potter, Mikkel Damsgaard and Yehor Yarmoliuk replace Mads Roerslev, Mathias Jensen and Vitaly Janelt.

76 min: “I’ll provide a counter to all the anti-City emails you’re getting,” writes Richard Hirst. “As a Fulham supporter I’m delighted City are winning, and also that Brentford’s game in hand is away to ….. City!”

Of course, this result has ramifications at both ends of the table. This is how things currently stand, accounting for this result.

74 min: The game has probably been decided between those two defensive City blocks and that third Foden goal. That was the game’s crucial period. It seems a long way back for the home side now.

72 min: To rub salt into Brentford’s wounds, Doku replaces Bernardo Silva in City’s first change. What a substitute to have.

71 min: Foden has been far from the best player on the pitch in many aspects, but each goal has been expertly taken. Three very different finishes. Devestating for Brentford, who will feel this game has got away from them.

Wow. Game over? A goal both out of nothing and oozing of quality. It’s simple football, but then some of the best football is. Rodri fires a low pass into Foden, who dummies and continues his run forward. Haaland collects Rodri’s pass, lays the ball off to the advancing Foden, who sprints away from his marker (Pinnock) to go clean through on goal, and picks his spot under Flekken. Just his second career hat-trick!

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67 min: “My son is going to be delighted if City go on to win this match,” emails Catherine Ogden. “He was devastated I sent him to bed at 9pm!”

By all means enjoy yourself, son, but enjoy yourself by being effing disciplined.

Let’s hope he’s reading this MBM from under the covers.

65 min: The game is still in the balance. This is an excellent period for Brentford. I’d be surprised if Guardiola doesn’t make some changes soon.

63 min: Brentford go close again! Once again, they are first to the second ball. Janelt shoots, and this time it’s Gvardiol who makes the block. I don’t think Ederson would have gotten to the shot, which was definitely going in!

61 min: Huge chance for Brentford! Reguilon crosses deep to Toney, who hooks the ball back towards the penalty spot. Time stands still as Norgaard comes onto the ball to shoot … but Dias makes a sensational block. That was a certain goal, but for the Portuguese’s intervention. Absolutely brilliant from the City man.

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59 min: “Oh, Kevin De Bruyne”, swoon the City fans in the stands as he comes across to take a corner.

A couple of weeks ago, I played 11-a-side, and there was a semi-professional player on the opposition side. I think I uttered the phrase, “can’t get near him”, such was the gulf in class between him and I. It feels like a similar story here, with Brentford’s midfielders and De Bruyne.

57 min: Either Brentford are determined to give De Bruyne the freedom of west London, or the Belgian is so good, so elusive that no Bees player can get near him. Let’s opt for the latter, as it’s unlikely the former was in Thomas Frank’s game plan.

55 min: I have received yet more emails expressing a despair that City are now, regrettably (for them), winning this game.

De Bruyne’s cross. Foden’s glancing header. Both City players had oceans of space – the Belgian to swing in his delivery and the Englishman to guide his header past Flekken, who got a hand to it, but couldn’t keep it out. City, ominously, have the lead.

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51 min: In fairness, both sides have had chances to counter-attack, but lacked the final ball. Both Toney and Foden are guilty of wasting possession when in promising positions.

49 min: Considering the frantic first half, this has been a rather sedate start to the second period. Fear not, though.

47 min: How odd. I have received a flurry of emails expressing a hope that City don’t win this game.

Peeeeeeep! We’re underway again at the (fabled) Gtech.

Half-time reading:

All square. This would be a huge result if it stays like this. But I can’t see that happening.

City are level, 30 seconds before the break! You can’t say the champions don’t deserve it, but the timing is cruel for Brentford. It was a poor defensive header from Pinnock in the box, and Foden reacts quickest. He has time to chest the ball down, and slides a shot past Flekken from around the penalty spot. That’s a lapse in concentration from Brentford, and will sting for Frank.

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45+1 min: Now, Bernardo Silva shoots from 20 yards, but Roerslev heads the ball away, with the Portuguese’s shot headed for the corner. Brilliant, brave defending.

45 min: Three minutes added on. De Bruyne tries again from range, curling an effort low to the far post, but Flekken dives again to turn it behind. What a performance from Brentford’s keeper. That’s his ninth (!!!) save of the half. He’s never made more saves in the Premier League in one game, and we’re only half-way through this one.