Runner-up to Arsenal five points behind at kick-off, Manchester City had to win this Saturday, on matchday 36, to maintain a tiny hope of winning the Premier League. For this meeting, Pep Guardiola brought out the heavy artillery with an attacking quartet made up of Doku, Cherki, Semenyo and Haaland. Opposite, Keith Andrews opted for a 4-2-3-1 with Igor Thiago, established at the forefront. With their backs to the wall, the Skyblues were quick to take control of operations and Doku lit the first fuse but the Bees goalkeeper pushed back (5th). Biting from the start, City still left some space for the visitors and it took Donnarumma’s vigilance against Jensen to avoid plunging the residents of the Etihad Stadium into doubt (16th). Playful, the two teams often found themselves on a defensive edge but neither Bernardo Silva, nor Haaland, nor Reijnders found the fault. Increasingly threatening, Man City lacked offensive realism: Haaland lacked power when taking the lead (25th) or fell on a solid Kelleher (27th).
For his part, Bernardo Silva missed the target (29th). Hanging on at the half-hour mark, Cherki’s teammates continued to lay siege to the Bees’ area but nothing helped. An inaccuracy, a foot, a head did not allow the Skyblues to make the difference. Frustrated at the break, Manchester City did not slow down after returning from the locker room but Cherki, in turn, lacked success (47th). In the process, Brentford even came close to opening the scoring with a shot from Igor Thiago deflected by Donnarumma (55th). And it was finally the man in form from the Citizens who struck again. At the hour mark, the former Rennais put on a solo performance before clearing the opposite corner of the Bees with a delicious shot (1-0, 60th). Liberated by this goal, Manchester City, very close to the break thanks to Foden (66th), finally continued to impose its rhythm and made the difference in the last quarter of an hour through Haaland, opportunistic after a ball messed up in the area (2-0, 75th), then the new arrival Omar Marmoush, decisive with a beautiful cross strike (3-0, 90+3rd). A victory (3-0) which allows the Mancunians to maintain pressure on the Gunners two points behind and to still believe (a little) in the Premier League title.
