City have kept clean sheets in two of our last three games – home clashes with Everton and Brentford – to take our tally in the league this season to seven.
Pep Guardiola’s side have largely remained solid defensively, conceding 26 goals in 25 games, but have seen opponents taking the lead early on or grabbing late consolation strikes.
CITY 1-0 BRENTFORD | MATCH REPORT
Symons believes keeping Brentford out is a good sign for the final 13 games of the campaign.
“Speaking at the start of the game, we both expected City to win but Brentford to score,” said the former City defender on Matchday Live.
“City’s concentration levels were top notch defensively.
“The goalkeeper and the defensive line were spot on. If we can keep that moving forward and that can be the norm, it’s a great habit to have.”
Symons was joined in the Matchday Live studio by former team-mate Shaun Goater.
Goater is now a coach with the Club’s women’s team and spotted a tactical tweak at half-time that prevented Brentford from breaking forward as they had done dangerously on occasion before the break.
“A huge part of keeping the clean sheet was that with the back three of Dias, Stones, Akanji with Walker pushed up, we had an umbrella shape,” he said.
“We saw them break forward a few times in the first half but in the second half our shape meant we were able to pin them back and keep them away from our goal.
“After we scored, we saw a brilliant bit of game management that was worth the entry fee alone. To keep the ball for that length of time is amazing.”
While City were not at the free-flowing best that has delighted fans all over the world under Guardiola, Symons insisted the main objective for the evening was achieved.
“They were so difficult to break down, with a really deep 5-3-2 formation. Full credit to Brentford, they made it very hard,” he summarised.
“We saw the forwards on the edge of their own box with the midfielders and defenders behind them, there was so little space to work in.
“At the end of the day it’s about getting the result and it’s a massive three points.”
Matchday Live
Matchday Live is our FREE City-centric show covering every single men’s first team match.
Join us just over an hour before kick-off when our presenter and City favourites past and present will run you through the team news before delving deeper into what to expect from the game.
Once it kicks off, we hand to Alistair Mann and another recognisable voice for live radio commentary.
At half-time and full-time, we go back to the studio where our experts dissect what they have seen on the pitch.
It’s the perfect accompaniment to Manchester City match day!
