Match report and free highlights as Phil Foden's 16th-minute strike is enough to secure 10th Premier League win in a row for Manchester City at battling Brentford; Brighton's late point at Chelsea means City are now eight points clear at the top of the table
Thursday 30 December 2021 09:04, UK
Phil Foden marked his return to the Manchester City side by scoring the only goal as Pep Guardiola's men opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Brentford.
Foden hadn't started since Guardiola had warned his players about their off-field behaviour after both he and Jack Grealish were reportedly pictured in a nightclub and then dropped for the clash at Newcastle.
But he was vibrant throughout a tight contest at the Brentford Community Stadium, and struck the crucial blow on 16 minutes as he met Kevin De Bruyne's cross to tuck home from close range and survive a VAR review for offside.
Brentford ended 2021 with another dogged performance against the defending Premier League champions, and had chances to break the deadlock during a frenetic five-minute spell as Yoane Wissa's shot was cleared off the line by Joao Cancelo.
Kevin De Bruyne rattled the woodwork with a low shot from the edge of the box while Foden had a second goal chalked off for offside, but Ederson was untroubled as he recorded an 11th league clean sheet of the season.
The result means Brentford remain in 14th position on 20 points from their 18 games, while City head to Arsenal at the Emirates for the early kick-off on New Year's Day knowing they could establish a daunting 11-point lead at the top at the halfway stage.
The extent of the damage caused by Liverpool's surprise 1-0 defeat to depleted Leicester on Tuesday night was confirmed in west London 24 hours later as City took full advantage of their title rival's slip at the King Power Stadium.
While Chelsea's supposed return to form hit a roadblock as they stuttered to a draw at home to Brighton, Guardiola's City came through a stiff test unscathed at the Brentford Community Stadium. The fatigue that crept into Liverpool legs was far removed from the swashbuckling City machine that marches on ominously towards a fourth league title in five years.
The gap is now eight points to Chelsea in second, but by the time Liverpool are next in action at Stamford Bridge on January 2, Klopp's side could be a seismic 12 points off the summit. Such are the standards set by the defending champions, Liverpool's failure to score for the first time in 35 matches was ruthlessly punished.
Frank's men made a positive start, with some suggestions that the groundsman had allowed the grass to grow slightly longer to impede City's fluidity of attack with the returning Foden unable to reach Joao Cancelo's deep cross the only noteworthy incident of the opening 10 minutes.
It would precede a five-minute spell of Brentford pressure in which they might have scored on three separate occasions. Firstly, referee David Coote played a fine advantage after Ruben Dias fouled Wissa as Frank Onyeka was played through by Shandon Baptiste only for him to telegraph his shot straight at Ederson.
The City stopper then bailed out Dias once more as Wissa's low cross was inadvertently directed towards his own goal by the Portuguese defender only for Ederson to produce an instinctive save.
There was little he could do about Brentford's next chance, however, as after Wissa had collected Ethan Pinnock's knockdown from the ensuing corner, his miscued shot bounced over both Ederson and Ivan Toney only for the ball to be glanced off the line by Cancelo.
The spate of pressure was a warning City heeded and duly responded to with the opener from their very next attack as De Bruyne collected Cancelo's pass to swing in the perfect first-time cross for Foden to open up his body and direct beyond Alvaro Fernandez.
There was a lengthy VAR check for offside from Jarred Gillett in Stockley Park, but replays showed that Foden was fractionally behind Pinnock's trailing leg. Frank slammed a hand against the wall of his dug-out in frustration, acknowledging full well how such fine margins had conspired against his side.
The City goal came just 56 seconds after they had cleared the ball off their own line, a painful reminder that you have to take whatever chances come your way against England's elite.
In truth, with the exception of a few meaty City challenges which drew cries of anger from the home supporters, Foden's goal took the sting out of the contest. Mads Sorensen did well to block one Gabriel Jesus shot and a comfortable save from a speculative Dias drive were the closest the visitors came to doubling their lead before the interval.
The simmering tension between the two sets of players did lead to a flashpoint on the stroke of half-time, however, as Toney avoided punishment for appearing to place his studs on Fernandinho's shin as he lay on the ground having won a free-kick. Coote deemed it to have been accidental, much to the chagrin of the City skipper.
Fernandinho and City shook off the skirmish and came within a whisker of a two-goal cushion when Jesus nonchalantly flicked the ball back for De Bruyne to put the ball on Foden's head following more brilliant movement, but this time he could only direct his effort a yard wide of the post.
Guardiola had clearly instructed his players to up the tempo at the break, and Foden was once more denied - this time by the offside flag - as he meant Jesus' cross to bullet his header high into the net only for it to be correctly ruled out.
De Bruyne came within inches of finding that killer second goal when he received Bernardo Silva's disguised pass to smack the base of the post, with Fernandez beaten, but Brentford retained a threat at set pieces.
One such Mathias Jensen delivery evaded both Aymeric Laporte and Nathan Ake at the far post as Pinnock's header back across goal was crucially dealt with by Cancelo as Pontus Jansson prepared to connect.
Laporte thought he had settled matters when he rose expertly to meet another wicked De Bruyne free-kick to direct his header into the far corner, and while VAR intervened for offside to give Brentford late hope, they would not add a point against City to their proud list of scalps.
News will have filtered through to the buoyant travelling supporters that Danny Welbeck had struck a 90th-minute equaliser for Brighton at Stamford Bridge. City are now eight points clear, does anyone want to challenge them?
Brentford boss Thomas Frank: "The players were incredible, unbelievable, fantastic - especially in the first half. We're playing against the best team in Europe at the moment offensively.
"We met City at their highest in terms of their form. The first half was a masterclass in defensive organisation and mentality in terms of our low block. We conceded just one chance in the first half and created three of our own.
"We gave away half-chances in the second half to Jesus and Foden but we lacked a cutting edge on the transition. Dominic Thompson was making only his second Premier League start and there were a lot of players lacking in starts. I'm incredibly proud and I felt a point would've been fully deserved.
"I said to them that they should be proud and we know we're very good at the low block and defending. We then want to play more entertaining football. We try to do that and try to be brave and go toe-to-toe as much as possible. Tonight gave me more confidence in players who haven't played as much."
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola: "We played well and were so intelligent. We gave away some unnecessary fouls, but in the second half, we were much, much better. We have a good victory and we head back to Manchester tonight and recover as on January 1 we have another game.
"I'm very proud of my players, as all the managers are making arguments about the schedule which we made one or two weeks ago, but we're in a good run. We're only at the end of December so there are many more games.
"We are eight points in front but there are 54 points still to play for. We needed this type of rhythm in order to win today. If we attacked quicker, they could've caused us problems so it was the rhythm we needed today.
"Against Leicester, we were 4-0 up and then it was 4-3 very quickly. There are 54 points to play for, so I won't respond to talk that the title race is already done. Liverpool and Chelsea are exceptional. One are the champions of Europe and the other have been our rivals for many years.
"They've not been bad, we've just won 10 games in a row. We need to be calm, recover and come back to London in a few days again to play at 12.30pm."
Sky Sports' Ben Grounds at the Brentford Community Stadium:
This was the first time City had taken to the field since the departure of Ferran Torres for upwards of £50m to Barcelona was confirmed, and while the inquest is growing at Anfield for Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool's American owner, to refresh the squad, Guardiola has the squad depth and coaching capacity to absorb such an extravagant mid-season sale.
Torres was highly regarded and remains a real prospect but his departure barely raises a shrug of the shoulders when City are in such rude health. The resurgence of Raheem Sterling since Torres' injury could well have played a factor in the club's reluctance to stand in his way, but here the England international was named as an unused substitute.
By contrast Brentford had 11 first-teamers out and knew they, like Leicester, would have to repel a barrage in their final game of a highly successful 2021. Such has been the club's progress over the past 12 months, it was entirely fitting the year would culminate with the ultimate test of mental and physical fortitude.
They had their chances in the first half prior to Foden's decisive opener, while Toney's ongoing battle with Dias led to him leaving his mark on Fernandinho but this was another very impressive overall home performance against the league's biggest of hitters.
'Boring, boring City' sang the Brentford fans as their opponents stroked the ball around in the closing stages. Boring, maybe. But given the Liverpool and Chelsea results over the past 24 hours or so, a win here was extremely valuable to City in the bigger scheme of things.
Foden pranced around into pockets of space with great elan, constantly occupying at least two Brentford defenders wherever he went.
After his recent indiscretions on a night out which irked Guardiola, here was the perfect response and timely reminder of just why he was nominated the Premier League's Young Player of the Season so far by both Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville on Monday Night Football.
"Phil has always been outstanding," Guardiola said. "He's a guy who can play in different positions and always plays at an exceptional level. We don't have any doubts over him. He doesn't have to prove anything to me. He has to prove to himself but he still plays like he did as a boy, which is the most important thing."
Foden scored his 20th Premier League goal for Man City, 12 of which have come away from home (60%). Aged 21 years and 215 days, Foden was the second-youngest Manchester City player to score 20 Premier League goals for the club, behind only teammate Gabriel Jesus (21y 40d).
Brentford host Aston Villa on Sky Sports Premier League on Super Sunday; coverage starts at 1pm with kick-off at 2pm. Manchester City travel to face Arsenal on New Year's Day at 12.30pm.
