Erling Haaland pounces on defensive error to send Manchester City second

Manchester City 1 Brentford 0

ERLING Haaland’s 17th Premier League goal of the season lifted Pep Guardiola to within one point of leaders Liverpool but had the Manchester City manager any hair left, his team’s current form would have him pulling it out.

City dominated against their struggling visitors but were forced to rely, not for the first time of course, on Haaland’s finishing to avoid what would have been a potentially costly draw.

The goal came after 70 minutes, on a fast-break with Rodri playing the ball to Julian Alvarez who sent Haaland racing clear, assisted by a costly slip by defender Kristoffer Ajer.

The striker had a lot to do, and did it, finishing clinically for a goal which means he has now scored against every Premier League team he has faced, in well under two years in the country. Only Luton have avoided that fate - and that by virtue of never having faced him.

"It wasn’t easy. We scored a goal on the counter-attack. The defender slipped early and the efficiency was there from Erling,” said City defender Manuel Akanji. "He scored a great goal.

"I was just thinking: ‘Please score!’ The second chance we had, we failed to finish the game. Unfortunately the keeper made a save, but we got the win."

"We know how hard it is to play against Brentford, with their back five. That’s why we tried to attack and we didn’t run into too many counter-attacks. I can’t remember too many big chances they had.

"After the weekend we had to show a reaction and I feel we did that. Now we have to improve game by game."

And, unbeaten at the Etihad in 34 games since Brentford last visited this corner of Manchester, just before the 2022 World Cup Finals, this was a game City simply had to win to maintain their title push.

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