Man City vs Brentford Highlights: FT MCI 3-0 BRE | Man City move within two points of Arsenal at the top

Manchester City beat Brentford 3-0 at the Etihad in an important Premier League match and kept their title hopes alive. With this result, Manchester City move just two points behind Arsenal in the title race with both teams at 35 matches each.

FT’ | Man City have secured a commanding 3-0 victory over Brentford at the Etihad Stadium, wrapping up all three points with goals from Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland and Marmoush. The win takes City within two points of league leaders Arsenal, keeping the Premier League title race alive.

90+ | Man City have added a third goal through Marmoush in the closing stages after he latched onto a fine pass from Erling Haaland inside the box and finished past the Brentford defence. The goal further strengthened City’s goal difference in the title race, reducing the gap to league leaders Arsenal from 4 to 1.

88’ | Jordan Henderson and Matheus Nunes are both booked after a heated exchange that required teammates and officials to step in and separate them. The altercation briefly disrupted play as tensions rose in the middle.

79’ | Jordan Henderson is introduced as Brentford try to regain some control in the closing stages. Yehor Yarmoliuk makes way towards the bench.

74′ | Erling Haaland extended the lead to put Man City firmly in control against Brentford. Pep Guardiola’s men are now looking comfortable and their Premier League title hopes are very much alive.

Manchester City are now just two points behind league leaders Arsenal in the live Premier League standings with 74 points. Both City and Arsenal have played 35 matches each so far.

60′ | Jeremy Doku started the move from the left wing before cutting inside and curling a superb shot into the top corner. A fantastic finish from Doku and a huge moment in City’s title chase.

58′ | Omar Marmoush and Phil Foden have been sent in, with Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki taken off by Pep Guardiola.

55′ | Brentford launched a dangerous counterattack and Igor Thiago tested Donnarumma with a good effort. The Man City goalkeeper reacted well and got down quickly to make the save.

47′ | Man City almost found the breakthrough early in the second half. Jeremy Doku passed a good ball to Rayan Cherki inside the box, but the youngster played a wide shot, which went out.

45′ | The players are back out on the pitch at the Etihad Stadium for the second half. Man City start from left to right. The score remains goalless after the break as both teams look for a breakthrough.

Manchester City dominated possession in the first half (69 per cent) and had 15 shots compared to just 1 for Brentford. What matters, though, is the fact that both teams are goalless at the end of the first half.

45+2′ | A couple of minutes are added in stoppage time after 45 minutes are up on the clock. City had not been able to breach the Brentford defence despite creating plenty of chances in 45 minutes, and weren’t likely to break the deadlock in stoppage time.

No one will be more happy with the goalless scoreline at the Etihad Stadium than Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, who will be watching this game keenly at the moment.

44′ | Both Reijnders and Doku attempt shots from the edge of the box, but neither is able to breach the water-tight Brentford defence. Looks like the two teams are likely to head back to their respective lock rooms without a goal to their name.

39′ | Cherki’s free kick, however, is inadvertently blocked by Haaland. Doku later attempts a shot from inside the box, which deflects away for a corner kick. Nothing comes off that set piece either.

36′ | The referee makes his first booking of the fixture at the Etihad Stadium with Bernardo Silva getting a yellow card for his aggressive response to being brought down by Collins at the byline, smacking Brentford’s Irish defender on the back of his knee.

32′ | Keane Lewis-Potter gets medical treatment on the field after getting smacked on the head by teammate Kelleher’s knee. Guardiola uses the opportunity to get his players into a huddle and discuss tactics. The break, however, doesn’t last long and play resumes within a couple of minutes, with Lewis-Potter cleared to continue.

28′ | Doku and Haaland combine once again, and the Norwegian striker decides to fire the ball with his foot, which is blocked by Kelleher. Haaland creating plenty of chances now.

26′ | Haaland meets a cross from Semenyo, this time from the right channel, and attempts a low header that sends the ball straight into Kelleher’s gloves, with the Brentford goalkeeper barely having to move.

22′ |  The Brentford players appear for a penalty after Kevin Schade charges forward from the left channel, only to be brought down at the edge of the box. The referee, however, ignores it for now…

20′ | Haaland connects with a cross from the left channel, but his header sends the ball sailing over the goalpost.

15′ | Brentford are awarded a free kick just outside the area after a foul by Cherki on Hickey. Jensen takes the set piece, but Donnarumma and the City defence kick the ball away to safety. The Bees are awarded a throw-in shortly after, but nothing comes off it.

9′ | Brentford nearly stunned the hosts with their long throw delivered by Michael Kayode. Donnarumma came off his line but failed to properly handle the ball, creating panic inside the City box before Nunes managed to clear the ball in time.

5′ | Man City are dominating possession in the opening minutes. Jeremy Doku has been in the spotlight early on in the match with a couple of run-ins. He even took a shot on target, which the Brentford keeper saved nicely.

0′ | Manchester City and Brentford are underway in a crucial Premier League clash, with City desperate for three points to stay in the title race.

The players of Man City and Brentford have now walked out of the tunnel at the Etihad Stadium ahead of kick-off. The atmosphere is electric as City look to keep their title hopes alive in front of home fans.

Manchester City hold the advantage in the overall head-to-head record against Brentford. City have won 14 matches between the two sides, while Brentford have registered seven victories, with two games ending in draws.

“It’s now not in our hands; before it was, ⁠⁠now no. Four games we have [remaining] in the Premier League. They will be quite similar, and we’ll see what happens.”

Players from both Man City and Brentford are currently warming up on the pitch ahead of the big Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium.