Brentford 0 Manchester City 1
The Premier League title may well have been decided in the same week as the Ashes. After Liverpool faltered at Leicester and Chelsea were depth-charged by Danny Welbeck, Manchester City enter 2022 with a fourth title in five seasons within their grasp.
Victory at Brentford opened the gap to eight on Chelsea and nine on Liverpool with their chasers to face each other at the weekend. With Brentford troublesome opposition, City did not close out 2021 with a display of the glorious pyrotechnics that won last season’s title and had rattled in 17 goals in their last three matches. Phil Foden’s early goal, coming from Kevin De Bruyne’s assist, was all they required to escape west London with what they came for, a 10th successive Premier League win.
On a ground where Arsenal lost, Liverpool drew 3-3 and Chelsea squeaked a 1-0 win largely thanks to their goalkeeper, Pep Guardiola was not underestimating Brentford. The restoration to the starting lineup of Phil Foden and Jack Grealish after their pre-Christmas drinks session reflected the strength of City’s options. Drafting in Nathan Aké at left-back and picking Gabriel Jesus over the in-form Riyad Mahrez did though suggest 1 January and Arsenal were being kept in mind.
Brentford have only been able to win one game a month since September and yet end the year well clear of the bottom three. The selections of Yoane Wissa and Frank Onyeka in midfield saw Thomas Frank plump for energy over the creative talents of Sergi Canós. Christian Nørgaard, their usual midfield screener, was also suspended. Facing a coach Frank had called the “greatest manager of the modern era”, was a team ravaged by injury rather than illness. Only one player, Vitaly Janelt, is currently on the Covid absentee list.
Once a stadium-wide pre-match chorus of Hey Jude – also a staple at City’s home – had rung out, the champions dominated possession with the revived Kevin De Bruyne to the fore. They did not quite explode in the fashion of the 4-0 lead they surged into against Leicester on St Stephen’s Day. A heavy surface – with long grass – at the Community Stadium, curbed their flow. Jesus’s 10th-minute mis-control was by no means the only suggestion of adverse conditions.
Brentford were not completely restricted to their own half. Onyeka and Mads Sørenson took early potshots before Ederson was forced into a reaction save after Wissa had crashed the ball off the face of Rúben Dias. It then took a timely Aké intervention to clear the danger from a corner as Wissa again threatened.
Within seconds of that 16th minute flurry, Foden had the ball in the Brentford net. De Bruyne delivered the ball from the right with top spin, in a style David Beckham patented, and Foden, onside by millimetres, slotted past Álvaro Fernández. VAR offered no mercy to Brentford. They had paid the price for pushing too far forward, getting ahead of themselves, and City’s main concern was what looked a muscle injury to Ederson after he had caught a foot in that heavy rough. The Brazil goalkeeper proved fine to continue, robbing Scott Carson of a chance to shine.
City’s interchangeable forwards continued to threaten, Foden looking far more dangerous than Grealish, while Brentford, urged on by Frank squawking from the touchline, were reduced to last-ditch tackles. Dominic Thompson, on Jesus, delivered the pick of them. Just before the break, Ivan Toney and Fernandinho fought out a running battle. Both fell theatrically to the floor but neither engaged the attention of the referee or VAR.
The second half began with De Bruyne again teeing up Foden, this time for a header that screwed wide. The Belgian then crashed a shot in with his left but failed to beat Fernández. Foden did manage to net a header, only to be ruled offside. Brentford were retreating ever backwards, pressed into mistakes on the rare occasions they did regain possession.
There were cheers from the home crowd when the ball eventually appeared in the City half as Frank urged his men to push outwards. That appeared to loosen the pressure for a time only for City to step it up and De Bruyne’s low drive to rattle off the left-hand post with Fernández beaten. City were creating half-chances but Guardiola was getting worried on the touchline. His team were dominating possession and yet not enjoying the hustle and hassle Brentford put opponents through.
That lack of a second goal opened the door on a late Brentford counter nicking a point and halting City’s winning run at nine matches, though the home team looked exhausted in the dying stages, with Thompson pulling up with cramp. Aymeric Laporte had the ball in the net late on, only for another offside decision to deny City. Guardiola appeared reluctant to make use of his bench, leaving Mahrez and Raheem Sterling in the stand. They will come in handy at the Emirates where City can further stretch their lead over their now distant chasers. – Guardian
