Manchester City are looking to secure their fourth consecutive win in their Premier League title defense when they host Brentford on Saturday.Pep Guardiola’s team, who will start their Champions League campaign next Wednesday with a rematch of the 2022/23 final, have eased through the start of the season, beating Chelsea, Ipswich Town, and West Ham United to claim maximum points.
Erling Haaland has been in his usual prolific form, and he could notch a third consecutive hat-trick at club level, having already scored seven goals in three games. Brentford will remember that he netted the winner in this same fixture last season.
Despite this, Brentford will approach the Etihad with confidence. They’ve had success against City before and have started the 2024/25 season strong, with two wins from three matches, their only loss coming against an in-form Liverpool.
Manchester City vs. Brentford: Head-to-Head And Team Form
Manchester City holds a strong historical record against Brentford, winning 11 of the 19 encounters between the teams, while Brentford has claimed seven victories. Manchester City have won four of their last six Premier League meetings with Brentford, completing league doubles over them twice in the past three years.
Brentford was the last team to beat Manchester City at home in any competition, securing a 2-1 victory in November 2022. This season, Manchester City have won all three of their Premier League matches and could start a top-flight campaign with four consecutive wins for the ninth time in their history.
Brentford’s defensive style of play focuses on maintaining a solid, organized defense to minimize the opponent’s scoring opportunities. They prioritize structure, discipline, and tactical awareness, often deploying a deeper defensive line and crowding their half to limit space. Brentford relies heavily on counterattacks and set-pieces for scoring, with quick transitions from defense to offense. The emphasis is on patience, teamwork, and reducing risks, often resulting in lower-scoring games where they aim to capitalize on the opponent’s mistakes.
Manchester City vs. Brentford: Team News
Man City is still dealing with the absence of attacker Oscar Bobb, and Nathan Ake has been ruled out until mid-October following a serious muscle injury sustained while playing for the Netherlands.
With Ake unavailable, Josko Gvardiol is expected to continue at left-back, while John Stones may challenge Manuel Akanji or Ruben Dias for a spot in central defense. Rico Lewis could retain his place in a hybrid right-back role or switch to left-back, with Kyle Walker potentially starting his first game of the season at right-back.
Rodri, Phil Foden, and Savinho have trained this week and are likely to be available. However, Erling Haaland, August’s Premier League Player of the Month, is doubtful and may receive compassionate leave after the passing of close family friend Ivar Eggja.
For Brentford, Igor Thiago, Josh Dasilva, and Aaron Hickey remain out, while Rico Henry sustained a minor knock during the international break, unrelated to his long-term knee injury. New signing Gustavo Nunes is sidelined with a minor back stress fracture, and Mathias Jensen will miss a couple of weeks with a calf injury.
On the positive side, Kristoffer Ajer has recovered from an ankle issue and could join Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins in a three-man defense, with Keane Lewis-Potter and Mads Roerslev likely to return as wing-backs.
Possible Starting Line Up
Manchester City’s possible starting lineup: Ederson; Walker, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Kovacic, Bernardo; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Brentford’s possible starting lineup: Flekken; Collins, Pinnick, Ajer; Roerslev, Damsgaard, Norgaard, Janelt, Lewis-Potter; Mbeumo, Wissa
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