Pep Guardiola spoke on the eve of the Bees game of the need to assess his star striker’s physical and mental state because of the sad passing of close family friend and confidante, Ivar Eggja.
And Haaland plays in the 15:00 (UK) match at the Etihad after the team was announced ahead of kick-off.
Savinho, our explosive and dynamic summer signing, is back in.
The winger impressed greatly in our last home game, a 4-1 triumph over the Tractor Boys before sitting out the Hammers win with the manager saying in his post-match press conference that the former Girona loanee would spend the international break attempting to recover fitness and shake off a troublesome knee problem.
It’s a strategy that’s clearly worked with the bright Brazilian now looking to showcase his samba skills from kick-off this afternoon.
Ilkay Gundogan makes his first start since returning to the Club from Barcelona.
He was afforded a hero’s welcome when he came on against Ipswich in our last home game and is back in the XI this afternoon.
Phil Foden is involved, too, as he takes a place on the bench after missing the Ipswich and West Ham games through illness.
In terms of personnel changes, it’s four changes overall - Kyle Walker comes in for Josko Gvardiol, John Stones replaces Ruben Dias, Gundogan is in for Bernardo and Savinho comes in for Jeremy Doku.
TEAM NEWS
CITY XI: Ederson, Walker (C), Stones, Akanji, Lewis, Gundogan, Kovacic, De Bruyne, Grealish, Savinho, Haaland
Subs: Ortega Moreno, Dias, Doku, Rodrigo, Bernardo, Gvardiol, Nunes, Foden, McAtee
BRENTFORD XI: Flekken, Ajer, van den Berg, Pinnock, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Janelt, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Wissa, Mbeumo
Subs: Valdimarsson, Schade, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmoliuk, Meghoma, Konak, Trevitt, Roerslev
TACTICS
Ederson starts in goal and will be protected by a back four of Kyle Walker, Manuel Akanji, John Stones and Rico Lewis, who looks to be utilised at left-back – a role he played so admirably for England in the international break.
Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan will aim to dominate the battle ground of midfield with Kevin De Bruyne offering more attacking impetus to the champions.
Up top, Erling Haaland is the focal point with Savinho and Jack Grealish on the wings as they look to deliver high-quality service to the star striker.
HAALAND’S HOME COMFORTS
Erling Haaland loves the Etihad Stadium - and we have the numbers to prove it!
Today marks Haaland’s 50th appearance for City here on home soil in all competitions and so far, he has clocked up a remarkable 57 goals, including an eye-watering nine hat-tricks and he also has eleven assists at the ground.
That means he averages a goal involvement every 56 minutes. Wow!
Of course, he also scored the winner in this exact fixture last time out, a beautiful finish in the second half that stung the Bees and ensured a very welcome 1-0 win on our way to our record-breaking fourth title in succession.
That goal ensured he’d scored against all 21 Premier League teams he’d faced - and he added Luton to the list later in the season and Ipswich in our last home game!
As if that all isn’t enough ammunition to recognise Haaland as a generational talent, he is just three goals away from 100 in City blue! In just over two years. Astonishing stuff!
GUNDO THE GREAT
It was like a prodigal son returning in our last home game as Ilkay Gundogan was roared back on to the pitch as a second half substitute against Ipswich.
His transfer back to the Etihad put huge smiles on the faces of Blues fans and they showed their appreciation for the former captain as he replaced Jeremy Doku on 71 minutes.
Today, he’s back in the starting line-up as he looks to pick up when he left off.
His last act before re-joining was leading us to a historic Treble.
Happy memories.
And hopefully many more amazing moments to come for the likeable German.
CAN I ASSIST YOU?
Kevin De Bruyne has Ryan Giggs firmly in his sights.
Actually, he probably won’t give it a moment’s though. But we will do on his behalf.
KDB will just be focusing on one thing - playing his part in winning football matches.
But if you’re looking at the narratives that drive those victories, De Bruyne has an impressive one.
Against Ipswich the last time we were here, De Bruyne registered his 67th Premier League assist at the Etihad, taking him into second place in all the all-time list on home soil - overtaking Dennis Bergkamp’s 66 assists at Highbury.
Only Ryan Giggs, with 84 at Old Trafford, has provided more assists at a single ground in Premier League history.
That’s still some way away. But this is Kevin De Bruyne!
MATCH STATS
-City have won four of our six Premier League games against Brentford (L2), doing the double over them in both 2021-22 and 2023-24.
-Brentford remain the last side to win away to City in any competition, winning 2-1 in November 2022. We are unbeaten in 45 at the Etihad in all competitions since (W38 D7).
-Since the start of last season, Brentford have lost more Premier League away games (13) than any side currently in the competition. The Bees have also lost each of their last five away league games against sides that finished the previous season in the Premier League’s top four.
-City have won each of our last 12 Premier League games, all by a margin of 2+ goals. Indeed, under Pep Guardiola alone, City are responsible for six of the 16 runs of 12+ consecutive wins by any clubs in English top-flight history (38%).
-City’s Jeremy Doku has progressed the ball upfield 747.8m via ball carries in the Premier League this season, almost 300m more than any other player (Jan Paul van Hecke second with 457.3m). His 64 progressive carries are also a league-high, along with his 17 carries ending in a take-on.
-Brentford have won two of their three Premier League games this season (L1), their best start to a campaign in the competition. In the top-flight, only in 1946/47 have they ever won three of their opening four matches – but that was the only season they were relegated from this level.
-Brentford are allowing their opponents on average 16.7 passes per defensive action (PPDA) in the Premier League this season, the highest figure of any side, and the Bees highest in any of their four Premier League seasons so far.
-Erling Haaland has seven goals in the Premier League this season, the most ever by a player in a team’s first three matches of a campaign in the competition. The record in a team’s first four matches in a Premier League season is eight goals by Wayne Rooney for Manchester United in 2011/12.
-Both Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have scored in two of Brentford’s three Premier League games this season. Overall, the pair have scored in the same Premier League match 13 times, at least 10 more than any other duo for the Bees.
