Cheers Pep! No hangover as City go 12 points clear
There were spells of this game when Manchester City seemed a bit drowsy, passive even. It is not often that can be levelled at them.
Memories of this victory will be a little hazy in the fullness of time — it was certainly not a classic — but another win it was and while they continue to rack those up, the title is only heading in one direction. The champagne, or more specifically the vodka red Bulls, are on ice.
City have not dropped points in consecutive matches since December 2020, 50 games now. And they will drink to that around here.
‘Liverpool have two games to play, then we’ll see the gap. We have 14 games to play, many points to play for and more tough games like today,’ boss Pep Guardiola warned. ‘We have to qualify for the Champions League then win the Premier League. eat, rest, train.’
By the 69th minute, Kevin De Bruyne had finished it off. Jack Grealish had just come off the bench, serenaded from the stands about having a few jars, and was part of the pressing contingent that forced Brentford into ceding possession and led to De Bruyne sweeping home.
With it, City went 12 points clear of Liverpool on a night that could have been all about Grealish.
When the topic of that intrepid camerawork outside Albert’s Schloss — and whether City’s group were turned away or decided to wander away from the bar — reared its head, Guardiola was ready. As he does, the quipping was sharp and self-deprecating.
he flippantly moaned that his players had not invited him for what he called a ‘sober dinner’. In doing so he nailed both points, that this was all a bit silly and none of them — Grealish, Kyle Walker and riyad Mahrez — had done anything wrong. Case closed in Guardiola’s eyes.
The bigger crime might have been that City’s trio, also joined by kitman Ally Marland, shunned the trendier part of town.
Yet when Grealish is one of those filmed, against a backdrop of previous incidents — one of which occurred only weeks ago at the same establishment — then it takes on additional meaning for some. Last night, the easy thing for Guardiola would have been to start him after publicly backing him, but Guardiola never really does things the easy way and, more pertinently, is not a man who cares what we may think.
As it was, Grealish arrived two minutes before the game was sewn up. Before then, City had complete control while also not appearing quite themselves.
Brentford cleverly narrowed the pitch. Patience was required but was beginning to wear thin before City broke through five minutes shy of the break. raheem Sterling beavered away on the left, causing Mads roerslev one problem too many when he charged for the byline, the defender’s lunge clipping his foot. Mahrez sent David raya the wrong way from the spot, the seventh consecutive club game in which he has scored.
Brentford went from back to front with pace and caused issues. The club’s analysts, sitting in the Colin Bell Stand, thumped their desks in frustration after Sergi Canos crossed into ederson’s arms when the hosts were outnumbered on the break. here, those moments need converting.
The same can be said of rico henry’s opportunity moments after Mahrez’s penalty. John Stones lost his footing and henry sprung, set clear via a one-two, only for ederson to thwart him.
City had seen Phil Foden, Aymeric Laporte, Sterling and Joao Cancelo all miss the target from good positions. The latter’s came after raya had clawed away from Sterling, who had been ready to tap in Mahrez’s cross.
raya’s comeback from injury, this being his first league appearance since October, should serve as a boost for boss Thomas Frank, whose side are now eye-balling a relegation scrap. Like so many promoted teams before them, a chilling run of winter defeats has sucked them in.
‘If we keep putting these performances in, I’m convinced it will turn around,’ said Frank. ‘The only way they got goals were two big mistakes by us.’
The second came as raya gifted the ball to Sterling, but redeemed himself by thwarting the forward only for De Bruyne to pounce.
‘City are the best team in the world,’ the Brentford boss added. Guardiola flatly disagreed, pointing at the champions of europe and South America, Chelsea and Palmeiras.
That debate waits for another day. We will find out if City are or not by the end of the season.