Man City v Brentford- Preview, Predictions, and Best Bets

Manchester City face Brentford in the English Premier League on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s side have won all three matches this season, with Erling Haaland already scoring seven goals. Brentford have accumulated six points so far and impressively did the double over City in the 2022-23 season.

Man City Form

City had an exceptional end to last season, winning 18 and drawing three of their final 21 league matches. They secured the Premier League title with a 2-0 win at Tottenham and a 3-1 victory over West Ham on the final day. However, their season ended on a low note with a 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup final.

This season began with a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the Community Shield, followed by a penalty shootout win. City started their EPL campaign with a 2-0 win at Chelsea before a 4-1 comeback victory over Ipswich, with Erling Haaland scoring a hat-trick as City racked up 3.34 xG. Their latest match saw a 3-1 win at West Ham, with another Haaland treble and 3.00 xG, while allowing just 0.73 xG.

Man City Team News

Phil Foden is expected to be available after recovering from illness, and Savinho is likely to return from a knee injury. Oscar Bobb is ruled out, and Nathan Ake remains a serious doubt after picking up an injury during international duty with the Netherlands.

Kyle Walker and Rodri are expected to return to the starting lineup. John Stones, who featured for England, may not start this match. Ilkay Gundogan could push for a start in midfield if Guardiola opts to rotate his squad.

Man City Motivation

City will be fully focused on securing a win. They will aim to dominate possession against Brentford while being wary of the visitors’ counter-attacking threat.

With a big Champions League game against Inter Milan on Wednesday, some focus may be diverted, but City will still approach this game with full intent to win.

Brentford Form

Brentford were inconsistent last season. After losing 12 of 15 league matches through mid-March, they turned things around with a five-match unbeaten run, including wins against Sheffield United and Luton Town (5-1). Their final four matches yielded four points (LDWL) as their form dipped again.

This season started with a 2-1 home win over Crystal Palace. After a 2-0 loss at Liverpool, they bounced back with a 1-0 win over Colchester United in the Carabao Cup. In their most recent EPL match, they secured a 3-1 home victory against Southampton, producing 20 shots and 2.78 xG from just 37% possession.

Brentford Team News

Brentford are still without fullbacks Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey due to long-term injuries. Striker Igor Thiago remains sidelined, and Ivan Toney has been sold. Kristoffer Ajer is expected to recover from injury to start in defense, but midfielder Mathias Jensen is unavailable.

Coach Thomas Frank may opt for a back five in this match. Sepp van den Berg could come into the defense, with either Mikkel Damsgaard or Kevin Schade dropping to the bench.

Brentford Motivation

Thomas Frank will aim for a disciplined, defensive approach to make his side hard to break down. Brentford won’t prioritize possession and will look to frustrate City, hoping to exploit counter-attacking opportunities.

While a draw would be a fantastic result, avoiding a heavy defeat will also be a key priority.

Key Stats

Man City have won 21 of their last 24 league matches (3 draws).

Man City have kept 5 clean sheets in their last 9 matches.

Brentford have lost 11 of their last 15 away EPL matches.

Brentford have won 2 of their last 4 matches against Man City.

Verdict

Despite Brentford’s recent successes against City, the hosts are likely to have too much firepower. While City tend to concede a goal in many of their victories, they should still come out on top. Finding good value in the betting market may be challenging.

Best Bet: Man City to win and both teams to score at 2.55.
Alternate Bet: Man City win (-2 handicap) at 2.25.
Goalscorer Tips: Haaland to score 2 or more goals at 2.65, or Doku to score anytime at 4.00.