Manchester City will hope to go into the World Cup break on a high when they host Brentford at the Etihad on Saturday.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is on the horizon, and clubs across the world will pause competitive activities for six weeks. Gameweek 16 of the 2022/23 Premier League season begins on Saturday with a lunchtime kick-off between Manchester City and Brentford.
2022/23 seems to be the season where Manchester City might conquer it all. That might not reflect in their standing, with the Citizens trailing Arsenal on the Premier League table. But Pep Guardiola’s men have become a fearsome unit following the arrival of Erling Haaland. That was evident in the 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup earlier this week.
On the other hand, Brentford might be staring at another mid-table finish this season after a decent start to the 2022/23 campaign. The Bees have been the draw masters in the Premier League this term, playing out a stalemate in half of their 14 outings. That was again the case in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last weekend.
The corresponding fixture last season saw Manchester City grind out a 2-0 win over Brentford, with Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne on target. The Hard Tackle now takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
PEP 💬 Kalvin you saw in the last game, he is ready. Kyle not yet.#ManCity
— Manchester City (@ManCity) November 11, 2022
Pep Guardiola does not have any new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of the visit of Brentford. On Saturday, the Manchester City manager will be bereft of the services of only one first-team player.
Kyle Walker remains on the sidelines due to a groin injury. The veteran full-back has made the England squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and should be back in action next month for Manchester City. Meanwhile, Joao Cancelo is available despite seeing red against Fulham last weekend.
Cancelo should take his place as the left-back against Brentford, with Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake likely pairing up at the heart of the Manchester City defence. John Stone should feature as the right-back, with Ederson Moraes taking his place between the sticks.
Kevin De Bruyne was the shining light in a competitive game against Fulham last week. And the Belgian international will be the chief creator for Manchester City against Brentford. De Bruyne should join Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan in the middle of the park.
Guardiola did not risk Erling Haaland against Chelsea. And the Norwegian striker should spearhead the Manchester City attack against Brentford. Finally, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva will likely be the two wide attackers despite Jack Grealish’s impressive display against Chelsea.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ederson; Stones, Akanji, Ake, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Bernardo Silva, Haaland, Foden
Brentford
Unlike his counterpart in the Manchester City dugout, Thomas Frank has a plethora of squad issues to deal with ahead of the trip to the Etihad. The Brentford manager will be without six first-team players on Saturday.
Thomas Strakosha (ankle), Pontus Jansson (hamstring), Kristoffer Ajer (knee), Aaron Hickey (ankle), Shandon Baptiste (groin), and Charlie Goode (knee). All six players will likely return to action after the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
💬 World Cup break
"No doubt in terms of injuries to key players, the timing of the World Cup is good for us. No team in the world can perform at their top without their best players. I am looking forward to getting the boys back after the World Cup"#BrentfordFC | #MCIBRE pic.twitter.com/8PqzK6hnJ9
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) November 10, 2022
David Raya should take his place in the goal for Brentford, who will line up in a 3-5-2 formation in front of the Spaniard. Mathias Jorgensen, Ben Mee, and Ethan Pinnock should form the central defensive partnership for the visitors.
Mads Roerslev and Rico Henry should be the two wing-backs. And the wide duo will look to provide width in the final third to support the two strikers. Frank usually prefers a midfield trio for Brentford, with Christian Norgaard keeping things tight.
Norgaard will look to keep Kevin De Bruyne quiet in the middle of the park, with Mathias Jensen and Joshua Dasilva starting alongside him. Bryan Mbuemo and Ivan Toney will form the strike partnership, looking to trouble the Manchester City defenders.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Raya; Jorgensen, Mee, Pinnock; Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Dasilva, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney
Key Stats
- Manchester City won home and away against Brentford in the Premier League last season. They have never won three consecutive league games against the Bees (10 meetings).
- Manchester City have won their last 11 Premier League home games, their longest such run since a run of 14 in the 2017/18 campaign. They have scored at least twice in their last 15 at the Etihad, with only Liverpool having a longer run of scoring 2+ goals in Premier League home games (16 between February and December 2019).
- Brentford are one of four teams yet to win away from home in the Premier League this season (D4 L3). Only Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers (2 each) have gained fewer points on the road than the Bees (4).
- Manchester City are averaging more high turnovers per game than any other side in the Premier League this season (10.8). Only Everton (27) have faced more shots from high turnovers than Brentford thus far this term (25).
- As well as being the top scorer in the Premier League this season, Erling Haaland’s goals have been worth a league-high 13 points to Manchester City. It is the most points won by a Manchester City player in a single Premier League campaign since 2016/17 (Sergio Aguero, 13).
Player to Watch
Ederson Moraes
The Player to Watch section usually features an attacking player who can leave a lasting impression on the game. But Ederson Moraes features here as he is on the cusp of making history this weekend.
The Brazilian goalkeeper has won 149 of the 195 Premier League games thus far. And a Manchester City victory on Saturday will make Ederson the first Premier League player to reach 150 victories in fewer than 200 appearances. While the Citizens will likely grab all three points, Ederson remains a pivotal figure to make that happen.
Prediction
Manchester City 2-0 Brentford
Manchester City won both games against Brentford last season. But the Bees have time and again shown that the biggest Premier League clubs cannot take them lightly. Thomas Frank will set his team up in such a fashion that they might clinch another stalemate, their eighth this season.
But Manchester City will see Erling Haaland featuring at the Etihad on Saturday. So they should have enough quality to ease past Brentford at the Etihad this weekend. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-0 win for Pep Guardiola’s charges, which should take them to the top of the table before Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers face off a few hours later.
