Bees sting Pep twice in a season
CAN we play you every week? Pep Guardiola has only had to endure such an affront once in a Blue Moon during his spell as manager.
As Brentford completed a home-and-away double over Manchester City, the soundtrack down by Kew Bridge was unconfined in its joy.
Ethan Pinnock drilled into the bottom corner from substitute Kevin Scahde’s cross and Bryan Mbeumo’s header back to send City towards twin cup finals on the back of their first defeat in 26 games.
It was only the fifth time since Pep took over, in 2016, that a club has turned him over home and away in the league. If Guardiola was hoping any of his fringe candidates would force their way into the last two legs of City’s Treble bid, they made it easy for him.
Erling Haaland, an unused substitute yesterday, was presented with the Golden Boot for his 36-goal debut season afterwards, but that is all City collected as they signed off ahead of pressing dates at Wembley and in Istanbul.
They had been afforded a champions’ guard of honour before kick-off – which must have gladdened the heart of Kalvin Phillips (two Premier League starts this season), Sergio Gomez (two) and Cole Palmer (three).
Travelling fans mocked the Bees’ banned top scorer and unmasked gambling addict with a chorus of “Ivan Toney, he should have cashed out”.
Toney’s two goals at the Etihad last November gave Brentford what head coach Thomas Frank called “the single biggest result in the club’s history.”
This one was much less invigorating for the soul until Pinnock’s late winner, but that is what happens when you win the title with three weeks to spare – defeats like this ultimately don’t matter.