Brentford vs Manchester City LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction
Follow all the action from Gtech Community Stadium
Follow live coverage as Brentford face Manchester City today in the Premier League. Another top-flight season will be covered in full right here with The Independent, as reigning champions Manchester City look to make it an unprecedented five titles in a row come the end of 2024/25.
The likes of Arsenal and Liverpool will be chasing Pep Guardiola's side, but just as fascinating will be the race for Champions League places, with more teams than ever before having designs on top-four finishes. Chelsea remain big-spending, Manchester United's latest rebuild continues and both Tottenham and Newcastle will expect improvements this year - yet it was Aston Villa who snared fourth last term.
Meanwhile, it's Southampton, Leicester City and Ipswich Town who made it back to the elite after promotion last year and each will have hope they can make it more than a one-year stay. Follow the latest live action from the Premier League below:
Brentford vs Manchester City
Manchester City had an xG of 0.64 to Brentford's 0.27 in the opening 45 minutes, with Haaland recording an xG of 0.28. De Bruyne created five chances in the first half, only Dejan Kulusevski (six vs Man Utd in September) has created more in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League game this season. City also had 20 touches in the opposition box in the first half to only nine for Brentford.
Brentford vs Manchester City
A very exciting half of football at the Gtech with both teams showing great intensity somehow ends in a stalemate. Brentford certainly had the better openings of the two sides, more so in the first 30 minutes of the opening half as Mbeumo and Wissa were able to make a lot of inroads into the City box, but the Bees have been let down by their lack of conviction in the final third. Manchester City have had some very good moments on the break as well, but their finishing has been poor. Haaland had a couple of moments where he could, and should, have converted, but Brentford have been able to deny him for the moment. City had twice as many shots on goal compared to their opponents - eight to Brentford's four with two on target.
Brentford vs Manchester City
Another promising City move sees Kovacic collecting a pass on the edge of the box before playing it to De Bruyne on the left side of the area. However, De Bruyne smashes a curling effort taken first time well wide and high of the target. That was quite wayward. Meanwhile, there will be one added minute here.
Brentford vs Manchester City
De Bruyne picks up the ball on the left and makes a run towards the box, but it is Wissa, who tracked back a long way, making a sliding tackle and snatching possession away from City. Very good defensive work from Brentford's star forward.
Brentford vs Manchester City
De Bruyne has created five chances so far, the first time he has created at least five chances in a match in the Premier League since facing Brentford on 14th September 2024. Something for City to be thrilled about on an evening which has otherwise been quite frustrating so far.
Brentford vs Manchester City
Gvardiol plays a delightful ball to De Bruyne in the middle part of the pitch, which allows De Bruyne to pick out an unmarked Haaland on the left. Haaland runs with it for a bit and then takes a shot but Flekken is there to collect it. Haaland, by his lofty standards, should do better there, and he knows it.
Brentford vs Manchester City
Haaland meets a cross inside the box and heads it across the six-yard box. However, there isn't even one City shirt to meet his delivery and he makes his disappointment known to his team-mates after that.
Brentford vs Manchester City
Brentford have the highest shot conversion rate of any side in the Premier League this season (17.8%), while only Wolves (16.2%) have a higher conversion rate against them than City (13.9%).
Brentford vs Manchester City
Lewis-Potter diverts away a cross from the City left flank at the far post and Flekken cannot stop the ball from going behind for a corner for the visitors. City's short corner is worked to Kovacic on the edge of the box, but his effort flies just about wide of the bottom-left corner of the goal past Flekken.
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