In the make-up match of round 18 of the Premier League, Man City hosted Brentford at home. The defending champions missed many chances but only needed one goal to win 3 points, thereby narrowing the gap with the leading team Liverpool to only one point.
In the match against Brentford, Man City had 25 shots with 11 on target. Brentford's figures were 6 and 2 respectively. The home team's possession rate was over 70% (according to Whoscored data).
In the first half alone, Man City had 17 shots but no goals were scored. The most notable situation was Oscar Bobb's chance in the 38th minute. However, center-back Ben Mee blocked the ball right on the goal line. Other strikers such as Erling Haaland and Phil Foden also missed.
Haaland scores for Man City.
In the second half, Man City appeared to be deadlocked as Brentford maintained high concentration. Most of the home team's attacks on the flanks were neutralized. Meanwhile, the individual breakthrough efforts of Man City stars did not make a difference as Brentford defenders supported each other well.
In that situation, Man City had to wait until the second half of the second half to score. In the 71st minute, the home team launched a quick attack. Erling Haaland received a pass from Julian Alvarez. Center-back Kristoffer Ajer, the lowest player in the Brentford defense, suddenly slipped. Haaland did not encounter any obstacles from the opposing defenders when he dribbled the ball past goalkeeper Mark Flekken and put his name on the scoreboard.
In the 80th minute, the Norwegian striker scored against Brentford but was disallowed due to Kyle Walker's previous offside. The match ended with a 1-0 victory for the home team. Man City won 56 points, taking second place from Arsenal and closing in on Liverpool's top spot. Coach Pep Guardiola's team is only 1 point behind the team leading the Premier League rankings.
Result: Man City 1-0 Brentford
Score
Man City: Erling Haaland (71')
Man City vs Brentford lineup
Man City: Ederson, Walker, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Bobb, Alvarez, Rodri, Silva, Foden, Haaland
Brentford: Flekken, Ben Mee, Joergensen, Ajer, Reguilon, Noergaard, Roerslev, Onyeka, Janelt, Toney, Wissa
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