Since the title race is Manchester City’s to lose, every fixture of theirs is more or less seen as another opportunity to display their dominance. Regardless of the teams that they face, City is known to stretch each squad and keep on going till the last minute. However, Brentford, who are known as the surprise package in the league, have the will of the underdog and the capacity of a Premier League team.

They have often been compared to Leeds of the previous season, for their footballing capabilities that can even confuse the big boys of the Etihad. However, whether or not they can do so against City at their home turf seems to be something of a miracle.

We are at matchday 24 of 38

Considering the fact that we are already into the second half of the tournament, you would have gained a fair knowledge of how all the clubs are doing. The ones that were bound to suffer are continuing that trend and the ones who were claimed to suffer are showcasing signs of improvement. With all this information, people are certainly looking at shuffling their fantasy league or football betting squads. 

With matchday 24 offering new insights, that shuffle will see a new lease of life. Because we have top games like Liverpool vs Leicester and the obvious one, Manchester City vs Brentford.

Date and Venue

Manchester City is going to face Brentford on the 10th of February at their famous home ground of the City of Manchester Stadium.

Understanding the game 

Will Guardiola keep on rotating?

Considering the fact that they only managed to get a one-goal lead in the reverse fixture against Brentford, we don’t see Guardiola taking this game lightly. In fact, we don’t see Guardiola taking any game lightly. But for the moment let’s focus on the blue half of Manchester and the Bees. 

Guardiola’s wealthy set of midfielders might be relied upon to provide the goods as they have always been this season. However, a few changes could come in handy as Pep looks to offer them game time. So a certain Jack Grealish making the starting Ⅺ wouldn’t be surprising. 

The surprise package 

The Premier League is accustomed to seeing Championship squads rise to the top flight and battle it out with the best of Europe. Whether or not they last for more than a season is something to see for the future. But for now, the Bees are like fresh air. Their free-flowing style of football has caught the attention of many as they look to gain three points with every fixture that they play.

Their attack, starting from midfield is well composed and involves key players like Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo, Marcus Forss and so on. Due to that, Brentford is well equipped. Whether or not that is enough to face a squad like Manchester City is yet to be seen. 

Possession based football 

Despite gaining only a one-goal lead against Brentford, City managed to get the job done when they played against the Bees on the 30th of December, 2021. While that showcased a bit of determination from the Bees in not conceding more, their striker Ivan Toney admitted that it was a tough battle to face Guardiola’s men.

Throughout the evening, it was City’s players who dominated possession, created more chances and made life difficult for the Bees. So the real question is how will the newly promoted side battle it out in the reverse fixture?

What can they do to gain possession and keep City’s heavily funded midfield under control? Since breaking Guardiola’s mind is a complex task, we are going to leave that to the experts. Hence, Thomas Frank has a lot of work to do and if he can possibly find a way, things would get interesting. 

Could we see a draw?

With City’s massive gameplan and style of play, witnessing a draw against Brentford is quite hard to imagine. And if you are going to place your money on the same, many would consider it to be a bold move. However, if you are still considering it or have other options in mind, feel free to check out BritainBet.

Since the reverse fixture saw some kind of rhythm and game plan from Thomas Frank and co, he could give it another shot and look to come out with a point. Whether or not that is possible is something that we have to see when the referee blows his whistle on the 10th of February 2022. 

• Brentford vs Manchester City
  • Brentford Community Stadium, Brentford
  • 30th December 2021 

Considering the fact that Brentford was absent from the top flight for over 74-years, there is no head-to-head record, except for a game at the Brentford Community Stadium. City, powered by the likes of Foden, De Bruyne and Joao Cancelo were the first ones to create chances and look for ways to score and double the advantage. 

A De Bruyne assist followed by a Phil Foden strike was the only goal that City managed to score despite having 77% of possession. While Aymeric Laporte believed he did everything possible to double the goal difference, the offside flag was rightfully raised. 

However, the Bees did create chances of their own and at times, looked as if they were going to go with a point. While a few shots were denied by Ederson, some were wide and ended Brentford’s hopes of an equaliser or a win. But they were far from being washed out by City as the Brentford defence is something Guardiola will have to work out again.