Manchester City win at Brentford to pull eight points clear.
2021/2022 Premier League
0-1
Match Events
0' The match is about to start!
12' Onyeka's shot stopped
14' Ederson makes brilliant double-save
15' GOAL! Brentford 0-1 Man City (Foden)
45' Dias' long shot too straight
46' Foden's header wide out
50' OFFSIDE! Foden’s goal disallowed
65' De Bruyne's long shot hits the post
68' De Bruyne's long shot over the bar
87' OFFSIDE! Laporte’s goal disallowed
Manchester City have made the most of Chelsea and Liverpool's midweek slip-ups in the Premier League, with the defending champions defeating Brentford 1-0 at the Community Stadium on Wednesday night to collect all three points.
It wasn't a vintage performance from the Sky Blues, but Phil Foden's first half goal proved enough for them to win the match.
Brentford actually created a few early chances, with Yoane Wissa drawing a save from Ederson and Mathias Jensen trying his luck from the halfway line and coming closer than most would have expected.
Wissa was again involved as a deflected shot looped towards goal and was almost put in by Ivan Toney, only for City to somehow scramble it away.
It was then, just as Brentford were growing in confidence, that the visitors took the lead, doing so in the 16th minute as Foden turned in a cross from Kevin de Bruyne. After a VAR check showed he managed to stay just onside, the goal stood and City's quality had given them the lead against the run of play.
Brentford weren't as dangerous after that, but Manchester City couldn't find a second goal over the final half hour of the first half, with the home team defending really well.
After the break, Manchester City came out with more intent and almost scored a replica of their opening goal, but this time Foden headed just wide after meeting De Bruyne's cross, before Foden was offside when he did head in a later ball from Gabriel Jesus.
De Bruyne had a go himself midway through the second half and his low fizzing effort was repelled only by the Brentford post.
Pep Guardiola looked increasingly stressed on the touchline as his side failed to kill the game off and they were dealt another setback when Aymeric Laporte had a headed goal ruled out for offside in the final moments.
But, they held on and the result sees City move onto 50 points. That is eight more than Chelsea, who have played the same number of games, and nine ahead of Liverpool, who have played one game fewer than Guardiola's side.
Line-ups
Brentford XI: P. Jansson, I. Toney, Y. Wissa, M. Jensen, M. Sørensen, E. Pinnock, Álvaro Fernández, M. Rasmussen, F. Onyeka, S. Baptiste, D. Thompson
Subs: S. Ghoddos, Sergi Canós, M. Forss, M. Peart-Harris, M. Bidstrup, Fin Stevens, Matthew Cox
Man City XI: Fernandinho, De Bruyne, Cancelo, Laporte, Ake, Ederson, Grealish, Ruben Dias, Bernardo, Jesus, Foden
Subs: Carson, Gundogan, Mahrez, Sterling, Zinchenko, Z. Steffen, C. Palmer, Luke Mbete-Tabu