Phil Foden nets hat-trick as Manchester City come from behind to beat Brentford
Phil Foden scored a hat-trick for Manchester City (Adam Davy/PA)
Phil Foden hit a hat-trick as Manchester City came from behind to beat bogey team Brentford 3-1 and climb up to second in the Premier League.
Victory in west London, coupled with Arsenal’s win over Liverpool on Sunday, leaves Pep Guardiola’s side two points behind the Reds with a game in hand.
Brentford were the only team to beat City home and away last season, and the ‘three-peat’ looked on when Neal Maupay fired them into the lead.
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But Foden hauled City level before the interval, headed them in front early in the second half and then completed a stylish treble to leave the visitors with their title destiny firmly in their own hands.
They may have lagged behind the pace-setters for much of the season, but with Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne back from injury, and Foden in this sort of form, an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League crown looks well within their capability.
Haaland, making his first start in almost two months after a foot injury, was understandably rusty but he did have an early shot, from a De Bruyne cross, blocked by Ethan Pinnock.
Bees keeper Mark Flekken was then kept busy with a Bernardo Silva curler, another from Julian Alvarez and also made a fine save from Kyle Walker’s piledriver.
But totally against the run of play the hosts took the lead in the 21st minute, with a goal straight out of the Brentford playbook.
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