Brentford and Manchester City will play a dead-rubber game on Sunday to bring the curtains down on their Premier League campaigns.
The 2022/23 Premier League season is on the cusp of ending, with ten games remaining in the campaign. All ten matches in Gameweek 38 will kick off simultaneously on Sunday evening. And the newly-crowned three-peat-completing champions Manchester City will lock horns with Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Brentford came into the season on the back of expectations-defying performances in the 2021/22 campaign. And their stock has risen considerably this term, with the Bees sealing a top-half finish a few weeks ago. But Thomas Frank’s men can still achieve even more before the week culminates, with European qualification still possible if results in the other games go their way.
On the other hand, Manchester City took the scenic route to win the Premier League title this term. But as has become the norm under Pep Guardiola (bar a season or two), the Citizens have been ruthless in the run-in. And even though Arsenal remained perched atop the table for most of the campaign, Guardiola’s charges have defended their title comfortably.
The reverse fixture saw Brentford eke out a narrow 2-1 win over Manchester City, with Ivan Toney scoring a match-winning brace. And The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
💬 On the season
"I don’t think there was one expert who had us in the top 10 before the season. It’s a fantastic achievement which maybe, in some ways, doesn’t get rated enough. We have the second-lowest budget in the league"#BREMCI pic.twitter.com/0aR8uzilT8
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) May 26, 2023
Thomas Frank does not have any new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Manchester City on Sunday, the Brentford manager will be bereft of the services of four first-team players.
Ivan Toney is the most notable absentee, with the Englishman serving a suspension until mid-January. He has joined Pontus Jansson (thigh), Keane Lewis-Potter (knee), and Christian Norgaard (Achilles) on the sidelines.
David Raya will likely make his last appearance for Brentford on Sunday. And the Spaniard will hope to bid adieu to the Gtech Community Stadium faithful with another colossal performance. Meanwhile, the Bees should line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of Raya.
Aaron Hickey and Rico Henry have been two of the standout performers in Brentford’s recent resurgence. And the duo will be the creative workhorses from the flanks for the hosts. Ben Mee and Ethan Pinnock will be the two centre-backs for the home side.
As for the midfield unit, Vitaly Janelt has deputised well for Norgaard in the last few weeks. And the German midfielder will sit at the base, hoping to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Mathias Jensen and Frank Onyeka should complete the numbers in the centre of the pitch. And the former will also pose a threat from the set-piece situations.
Bryan Mbeumo has been top-class in the last few games, stepping up well in Ivan Toney’s absence. And the Cameroonian international should join Yoane Wissa and Kevin Schade in the offensive unit. So Mikkel Damsgaard will be an option on the bench for Frank.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Hickey, Mee, Pinnock, Henry; Jensen, Janelt, Onyeka; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade
Manchester City
Unlike his counterpart in the Brentford dugout, Pep Guardiola has a few injury concerns to deal with ahead of the trip to the Gtech Community Stadium. The Manchester City manager might be without half a dozen first-team players on Sunday.
The good news is that all the players will face late fitness tests. So Guardiola might travel to London with a full-strength squad. But for now, he is sweating over the fitness of Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji, Aymeric Laporte, Jack Grealish, and Phil Foden.
With Manchester City having nothing left to play for in the Premier League, Guardiola should field a second-string eleven on Sunday, thus preserving several regulars ahead of the two finals. So Scott Carson, fresh off signing a new contract with Manchester City, should take his spot between the sticks.
Preparing for Brentford 🅰️#ManCity | @okx pic.twitter.com/O9OJx0EzFz
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 26, 2023
The visitors will line up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him, ditching Guardiola’s recent 3-2-4-1 setup. And the back four should feature Rico Lewis, John Stone, Laporte, and Sergio Gomez. So Dias and Ake will get some rest ahead of the two finals.
As for the midfield unit, Kalvin Phillips will have a rare chance to impress. And the Englishman will sit at the base of the trifecta in the middle of the park, with Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne being his partners.
Meanwhile, Erling Haaland has won the Premier League Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards. But he will not start on Sunday, with Julian Alvarez spearheading the Manchester City attack against Brentford. Riyad Mahrez and Cole Palmer should complete the numbers in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Carson; Lewis, Stones, Laporte, Gomez; Gundogan, Phillips, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Alvarez, Palmer
Key Stats
- Following the 2-1 win at the Etihad in November, Brentford will look to complete a league double over Manchester City for only the second time. They previously did so in 1937/38. But 2022/23 is just the third campaign in which the two teams have met since then. Only two teams have ever done the Premier League double over Manchester City in a season where they became champions, both of them by London clubs – Chelsea in 2013/14 and Tottenham Hotspur last term
- Manchester City have won five of the six Premier League away games against London sides this season, with the exception being a 1-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur. Only one team has ever won six away games in the capital in a single campaign in English league history – Liverpool in 1988/89.
- Brentford’s most recent four final league matches of the season have them alternate between victory (2) and defeat (2), losing 2-1 at home to Leeds United last term. On the other hand, Manchester City City have won their final league game in eight of the last nine campaigns, including each of the last six in a row. Their last such defeat was at home to Norwich City in the 2012/13 campaign (2-3).
- Brentford have won four of their most recent five Premier League games (L1), more than they had in their previous 13 combined (W3 D6 L4). The Bees have also lost just one of their last 14 home league games (W7 D6).
- Kevin De Bruyne has been involved in nine goals in his most recent six final-day appearances in the Premier League, scoring three and assisting six. Overall, only Nolberto Solano (7) has more assists on the final day in Premier League history than the Belgian.
Player to Watch
David Raya
As any season draws to a close, some chapters end in the form of players ending their stints with their clubs. One such story will culminate at Brentford, with David Raya likely departing in the summer transfer window. A target for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, the Spaniard is a hot property.
Meanwhile, the Bees are in the market for a goalkeeper, with Mark Flekken on the verge of joining them. So with Sunday’s fixture being Raya’s swansong, the Spanish international will be eager to go out with a bang. He is, thus, our Player to Watch this weekend.
Prediction
Brentford 2-2 Manchester City
Brentford will have a rare opportunity to complete a Premier League double over Manchester City. And with Pep Guardiola likely to field a second-string side, the Bees are in a decent position to pounce. Bryan Mbeumo, in particular, should be in business on Sunday.
But the newly-crowned champions are renowned for their strength in depth. And the backup and fringe players will make their opportunities count. Julian Alvarez, in particular, should end a decent Premier League campaign with another goal-laden performance. And in the end, there should not be much to separate the team. The Hard Tackle thus predicts a 2-2 draw between Brentford and Manchester City.
