Manchester City will host Brentford at the Etihad on Saturday, looking to continue their perfect start to the 2024/25 season.
Manchester City are coming into the game vs Brentford on the back of three consecutive victories in the Premier League, and they will be massive favourites heading into Saturday’s match-up. Meanwhile, Brentford have done quite well in the league so far, and they have picked up two wins from three league matches.
The Bees will look to pull off an upset away from home, and it remains to be seen whether they can trouble the defending champions. On paper, Manchester City are certainly the better team and they have an impressive record at home.
This will be a tough outing for Brentford, but they have done well vs Manchester City in recent seasons. So, it remains to be seen whether they can deliver another strong performance here. The away side have picked up two wins from the last four meetings between these two sides, and Manchester City cannot afford to take them lightly.
Team News & Tactics
Manchester City
The home team will be without the services of Oscar Bobb and Nathan Ake. Bobb is sidelined with a leg injury in training, while Ake recently picked up a thigh injury during the international break.
Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Brentford, with Ederson Moraes in goal. Rico Lewis and Josko Gvardiol will be deployed as the full-backs, and they will look to help out in the attack and protect the side defensively as well. Manuel Akanji will start in the central defensive partnership alongside Ruben Dias.
As for the midfield unit, Bernardo Silva will start alongside Rodri in the double pivot. The Spanish international will look to protect the back four and break up the opposition attacks. Meanwhile, Silva will look to add creativity and control to the side.
Kevin De Bruyne will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring opportunities in the final third. Savinho and Jeremy Doku will be deployed in the wide areas, and they will add pace and flair to the side. Erling Haaland will be leading the line for Manchester City vs Brentford.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Lewis, Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol; Silva, Rodri; Savinho, De Bruyne, Doku; Haaland
Brentford
The visitors have a number of injury problems to deal with. They will be without Joshua Da Silva because of a knee injury, Gustavo Gomes because of a lower back injury, Mathias Jensen because of a calf injury, Rico Henry because of a knee injury, Aaron Hickey because of a thigh injury, and Igor Rodrigues because of a knee injury.
Brentford will shape up in a 4-3-3 formation vs Manchester City, with Mark Flekken in goal. Mads Roerslev and Kristoffer Ajer will be deployed in the full-back areas. They will look to keep things compact defensively and help out during counter-attacking situations. Nathan Collins will start at the heart of the defence alongside Ethan Pinnock.
As for the midfield unit, Vitaly Janelt will start as the defensive midfielder alongside Christian Norgaard and Mikkel Damsgaard. All three players will look to add defensive cover and drive to the side. Yoane Wissa will lead the line for Brentford here, with Bryan Mbeumo and Kevin Schade on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer; Norgaard, Janelt, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade
Key Stats
- Manchester City have won their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have scored at least two goals in their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
- Manchester City have been winning at both half time and full time in nine of their last ten matches in the Premier League.
- Brentford have won two of the last four meetings vs Manchester City.
- 12 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
Player to Watch
Erling Haaland
The Norwegian international is our key player to watch out for. He has started the new Premier League season in red hot form (seven goals in three league games), and the 24-year-old will look to cause all sorts of problems to the Brentford defence with his finishing, movement and physicality. He is likely to get on the score sheet once again, and Manchester City will rely on him to dismantle the away defence.
Prediction
Manchester City 3-0 Brentford
Although Brentford have done quite well so far this season and they are no pushovers, they will be the underdogs heading into this game. Manchester City are in formidable form, and they have an impressive record at home.
The reigning Premier League should be able to grind out a comfortable victory here. The gulf in class between the two sides is considerable, and the home team should be able to pick up a comfortable win in front of their own fans. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 victory for Pep Guardiola and his charges.