Haaland stings the Bees with decisive winning double

Men's Team

Pep hails Haaland's mental strength in wake of Brentford brace

The star striker, whose double took him to a dizzying 99 goals in just 103 matches, had to be at his clinical best to see off the adventurous Bees.

The visitors took the lead after just 22 seconds through Yoane Wissa in front a shocked home faithful in the Etihad.

Thomas Frank’s men, showing no fear, had several chances to extend their lead before Haaland produced a thumping right foot drive on 19 minutes to level.

He earned the Blues all three points just past the half hour mark with a classy and caressed clipped effort which was assisted by Ederson’s lovely long-range ball through.  

Picture Special

Gallery: Haaland brace beats Brentford!

WHAT HAPPENED

The game started in dramatic fashion with the Bees swarming over the Blues – with a blink-and-you-miss-it opener for the visitors.

Lewis Potter crossed from the left into the danger zone with John Stones and Ederson both attempting to clear the danger. In the end, the ball ricocheted off Stones and into the air where Yoane Wissa rose highest to head home. With just 22 seconds gone. Not the start we wanted at all.

In all honesty, it could have got worse with a flurry of chances for Thomas Frank’s adventurous West London side.

There was a timely tackle on three minutes from Rico Lewis which denied Bryan Mbeumo as he shaped to shoot after rounding Ederson in the City box.

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Then Mbeumo, on seven minutes, tried an acrobatic overhead kick and with the Etihad home fans holding their collective breaths, the industrious forward thankfully missed the ball completely. Another very dangerous moment!

Moments later, Ederson was the hero as he produced a precise pinpoint save to deny Nathan Collins from pointblank range.

After that heart-in-your-mouth opening, City drew level on 19 minutes – and who else? Yes that man Erling Haaland.

The ferocious forward did brilliantly to swivel and shoot in the box, following fine interplay between Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne, and his right foot crack flew past Mark Flekken. Goal number 98 in City blue. 

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De Bruyne nearly got in on the act himself on 27 minutes, showing composure and class before firing a left foot effort agonisingly wide of Flekken’s left-hand post.

It was goal number 99 for Haaland just past the half hour mark and it was route one play.

Ederson half volleyed it goalwards and Haaland showcased his pace, power and predatory skill to muscle Nathan Pinnock off the ball before clipping it over Flekken. 

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It was nearly three with the next attack, Haaland this time playing the role of provider, feeding Jack Grealish who fired the ball across goal to Ilkay Gundogan. The German, on his first start since re-joining the Club, would have been able to tap home except for the defensive diligence of Mikkel Damsgaard who cleared the danger.

The crowd were ready to leap out of their seats on 41 minutes as Grealish smashed a volley goalwards from just outside the area but the ball was blocked on its way through.

Mateo Kovacic went in the book after upending Wissa on 41 minutes and, after a lengthy delay, the DR Congo had to be replaced by Kevin Schade.

Match Highlights

City 2-1 Brentford: Brief highlights

The manager shuffled his pack at the break – Josko Gvardiol coming on for Lewis and Rodri entering the action in place of the booked Kovacic.

City started the second half the way they ended the first – on top but there was little in the way of clear-cut chances as the hour mark passed without incident.

The match soon caught fire though.

Flekken produced a tremendous save to keep his side in it on 67 minutes, diving to his left to claw away Grealish’s curled right-foot rocket.

It was so close to a century of Haaland goals two minutes later but the forward’s strike was tipped over by the Brentford number one.  

Returning right-back Walker was oh so close to making it three with a classy curled shot which sailed just over the bar.

At this point, it was relentless pressure from the hosts.
Grealish played through Gvardiol who then showed selflessness on 76 minutes to tee up Savinho but the Brazilian’s blast was thwarted by Flekken.

There was nearly a special, special goal moments later, the silky-smooth forward Savinho darting into the box before cracking his shot agonisingly wide.

Haaland hit the inside of the post on 80 minutes as he almost secured his hat-trick before Flekken - on top form - denied him again with the next attack.

Portugal on, England off as Bernardo and Dias entered the action on 84 minutes in place of Grealish and Stones with Pep Guardiola bringing fresh legs on with the final whistle close.

There was relief in injury time as Yegor Yarmolyuk struck a 20 yard effort wide of Ederson‘s right-hand post - and delight on full-time as Darren Bond blew his whistle to signal our fourth win in four games.

TEAMS

CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Stones (Dias 84’), Akanji, Lewis (Gvardiol 46’), Gundogan, Kovacic (Rodrigo 46’), De Bruyne, Grealish (Bernardo 84’), Savinho (Nunes 90 + 2’), Haaland

Subs: Ortega Moreno, Doku, Foden, McAtee

BRENTFORD XI: Flekken, Ajer (Roerslev 72’), van den Berg, Pinnock, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Janelt (Carvalho 72’), Norgaard, Damsgaard (Yarmoliuk 84’), Wissa (Schade 46’), Mbeumo

Subs: Valdimarsson, Mee, Meghoma, Konak, Trevitt

PLAYER OF THE MATCH

Erling Haaland.

No explanation needed, right?

RESPECT FOR SVEN

This week, Sven-Goran Eriksson was laid to rest at his funeral in Torsby, Sweden after sadly succumbing to pancreatic cancer.

Despite only being here for one season, 2007/08, immediately after his spell as England boss, Eriksson was hugely popular as he brought in exciting talent like Elano, Martin Petrov and Geovanni as well as masterminding a derby double over Manchester United.

There was a written tribute to the former City manager in the Brentford edition of the matchday programme and the crowd rose to their feet – along with players and staff – ahead of kick-off to hold a minute’s applause for the hugely likeable Swede.

RIP Sven – and thanks for the memories. 

MANAGER REACTION

“I am a big fan of Thomas Frank. I don’t remember in eight or nine years have a team playing the way they played. We were lucky with the deflection because they deserved 1-0.

“We struggled a lot to read when to shoot and press. We were lucky to find the goals but in the second half we were better and probably deserved to score more goals.

“We needed that to feel how difficult everything is, how difficult the Premier League is every game.

“People say City so strong but the Premier League is so difficult. Today was the real proof.

“I am a big fan of Brentford. They play long balls but they have ability to play as well. I give a lot of credit to my players, from where we come from in the past but to still be able to suffer. I prefer to win that way than four or five nil. We need that.”

GREALISH ON HAALAND

“He’s an unbelievable player, an unbelievable person. He gets everything he deserves because he works so hard on and off the pitch.

“He’s just an absolute machine in front of goal and I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“We all know that he’s had a difficult week, him and his family. I send all my love to them. It does speak volumes about him as a person and his mental strength.

“To come out there today and perform like that and score two goals for us to get the win, I’m sure it’s everything that is family would have wanted. I can’t speak highly enough of him for that.”

WHAT IT MEANS

City have made a 100% start to the 2024/25 Premier League season with four wins from four games.

This victory over Brentford is allied to victories over Chelsea, Ipswich and West Ham.

We have now won our opening four matches of an English top-flight campaign on nine occasions - 1903/04, 1912/13, 1961/62, 2009/10, 2011/12, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2023/24 and 2024/25, which is hugely impressive stuff and the most for any club!

It also means we have also won our first four games in back-to-back Premier League seasons for just a second time, previously doing so in 2015/16 and 2016/17.

WHAT’S NEXT

It’s a busy week for Pep Guardiola’s men with two huge games following hot on the heels of this Brentford triumph.

We take on Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday, with a 20:00 (UK) kick-off here at the Etihad.

City have never faced Inter on home soil which is a remarkable statistic given the status of both Clubs.

In fact, the Blues and I Nerazzurri have only ever met once before - but what an occasion and what a result.

Istanbul. Champions League Final. Rodri. Ederson. Magic.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough stardust sprinkled on the stadium, it’s a titanic top-flight tussle with Arsenal next Sunday here at the Etihad, kick-off 16:30 (UK) as the top two teams over the past two seasons battle it out for supremacy.

If you love football, this is the week for you!