(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Brentford 13 Man City

So the door has been left wide open for the defending champions to return to the top of the Premier League table. Liverpool's defeat at Arsenal yesterday means that if City win their next two matches, they will be back in pole position. That said, they must first overcome a Brentford side which were the only one the Blues did not beat in their historic treble-winning season. The ball with Alvarez in the centre circle, out wide it goes to Bernardo Silva on the right-hand side, gets to the final third. De Gruyne on his outside, clips it in! Haaland! It was blocked. That was the first chance for Haaland, it wasn't an easy one. There was two or three defenders in front of him but it was on target and it was blocked. Benake can charge forward and indeed he's doing so. Gets across the halfway line and nobody's really gone with him so he keeps running. On it goes to Guardiola, Guardiola comes inside, he's got into the final third. Now there's a shooting chance for Alvarez, Alvarez doesn't pass it up and Flecken tips it out for a corner. Plays it in field to Rodri, Rodri advances towards the final third, finds Foden. Back it goes to Walker, Walker into Foden, Foden on the half-turn. On to Haaland, Haaland in towards Alvarez, Alvarez tries it and Flecken again with a save. Again Alvarez having a go from the edge of the area, again Flecken equaling to it. Fourteenth minute, threatening an opening goal, De Gruyne with the latest corner, goes deep to Bernardo, Bernardo's first-time cross cleared but City will pick up the loose one with Walker. Walker might think about shooting, he does and Flecken makes another save! Whacked in by Walker at pace, fizzed towards the far corner but there was Flecken for a third time. Great technique from Walker to keep it down, they normally go flying. Brentford's plan is to stay in this for as long as possible and try and nick a goal somewhere, hope their goalkeeper has an inspired day and so far he has done. Haaland had a shot blocked back in it, now the ball is going through and it's in the possession of Mope, and Mope scored unless the flag goes up, and the flag hasn't gone up and Brentford lead 1-0. Simplicity itself, a long ball forward, flicked on by Tony, Mope the last man, one-on-one, slipped it beyond Ederson, such a simple goal, 1-0 Brentford. It is so simple, but I don't want to be right, but what did I say before the game to you, Ali? Ivan Toni will pin you, he'll then make you miss the ball straight through. Diaz heads it on, Walker helps it further, but loses it to Mope, now Mope scored in five games in a row, ball's given away, Haaland! It's blocked, blocked, it was a dreadful error from Brentford, they gifted it to Haaland, he was one-on-one, he couldn't get it beyond Flecken, whereas at the other end Mope did get it beyond Ederson. One-on-one opportunity, it was dreadful from Brentford, gave it away, City should have scored and it didn't go in, what a chance for Haaland. City will definitely get a whole stack of opportunities today, can they start to finish them? De Bruyne in the right-wing position, on towards Walker, Walker trod on the ball and then lost it, and then it breaks for him again, and Walker clips it in, and it'll reach, Guardiola! Guardiola, can he steady himself? Yes, he can, and Flecken makes the save again. Five, six saves now from Flecken, he's gonna have to have a worldie, but at the moment he's having exactly that. Yeah, he's composed himself, thought the chance might be gone. And again it's another good save. It's not one of those ones that are a good meet, and that's his fifth so far in this first half. Guardiola, still on the edge of the third, plays it to Rodri, back it goes to Guardiola, Guardiola across to De Bruyne, De Bruyne clips it in, great ball, Guardiola round the outside, across the face of the goal, nobody's there! I think it was a mishit from Guardiola, if he could have played a more accurate ball it was 1-1. Yeah, it's a wonderful ball from De Bruyne. Foden, on towards De Bruyne, De Bruyne on the edge, can he get a shot away? He can, and it's ticked wide again by Flecken. I suspect that was probably clipping the post. Another save by Flecken. Mancini coming forward with Rodri now in the middle third. On it goes to De Bruyne, De Bruyne clips in across towards Haaland, it's cleared, only as far as Foden! 1-1, right on half-time! You knew that Brentford would concede today, you knew at some point someone would score, I said if City score once they'll win this game, it's now 1-1 right on half-time. I've said so many times, Ali, over the last few weeks, put the ball into the middle of the box, let them make a mistake, and pick up the next ball, it can't always be perfect. This is not a great ball, but there it's the second phase, and that's where you'll get your goals. I know it's a little bit unorthodox, but there you go. Perfect, and brilliant, Phil Foden on the moon. Walker into Diaz, Diaz back to Walker again, all in and around the final third, Brentford all set up to defend, everybody including Moke and Tony. De Bruyne now in a crossing position, he bends it in, and Foden! 2-1! Guess who?! De Bruyne assist, guess who?! Foden goal, scampers over to the City fans at the correct end as far as the Blues are concerned, and it's City 2, and it's Brentford 1. When you've got Kevin De Bruyne, you can unlock any safe. You've got a chance, haven't you, with De Bruyne on the pitch. He's got the guide, he's got the cleverness, and most of all he's got the technique and the talent, and it's a wonderful ball. I'm not sure where Phil, we'll have to see this, nobody's really picked him up, and he just drifts in between Reguilon and me, just in that little space. What a great finish as well from Foden. It's not easy. On it goes to Ake, into the possession of Alvarez, Alvarez darting forward onto De Bruyne, De Bruyne in a good position, hits the shot, takes a deflection, and it's straight into the arms of Flecken. You've just seen the space begin to open up now, it'll be 56 minutes and Brentford really look a bit disjointed now. Pinnock hitting a long ball up towards Tony, Diaz won't beat him to it, Tony gets there, but in quickly was Guardiola and then Rodri. When they've given it away, Diaz has given it away, and now there are a few forward here for Brentford, and they're on the edge of the area, Reguilon's ball in, Edison can't reach it, Tony hits it, it cannons back, and then it's deflected out for a corner. What a chance for Brentford to equalise, and Diaz got the merest of touches and denies Norgaard. Rodri tries to draw the foul, holds himself up, plays it to Guardiola, loses it to Tony, City are being very sloppy, and all of a sudden they've lost it in their own final third. And the ball is with Tony, Tony's cross and it goes out for a corner, and City, the orchestrators of their own downfall there, and the Brentford fans are right back into this game. It's 2-1 to the Blues, but Brentford having some sustained pressure here. Reguilon will take the in-swinger. Ake meets it and clears it, and the volley is deflected away by Guardiola. Diaz with the block a few minutes ago, and now Guardiola has stopped what could have been potential goals for the equaliser for Brentford, and this game is far from over. A moment of quality from the Blues, and it will be 3-1 and then the game will be over, but Brentford still fighting. Ball with Haaland, on to Foden, Foden with a chance! Hat-trick, Phil Foden! Haaland with the assist, Foden with the finish. What a day for Phil Foden, what a day for City. They've come from behind, they lead 3-1, and Phil Foden goes over to the City fans at the end of which he scored, and he'll take home the match ball, because he scored his second City hat-trick, and my goodness has it been a good one. What a great finish composed, great little lay-off, I think the first ball might have been for Foden, went to Haaland, just a little gentle lay into his path. 1-2-3, never lost control of the ball, and just slipped it effortlessly into the corner. It's just brilliant from Foden, isn't it? Guardiola in no hurry to take this throw, City with a two-goal advantage, courtesy of a Phil Foden hat-trick. Throws it to Haaland, Haaland, got it across the face of the goal, it was cleared, Rodri wins it, Alvarez, on the turn! Flecken saves. He's had four or five efforts on goal and Flecken's stopped them all. Yeah, really strong from Haaland. Dropstone here, that's just instinctive, if it's not at the keeper, either side of him, he doesn't save it. The ball is with Doku out wide in the right-wing position, but he's not really trying to beat anyone. Now he is, gets to the by-line, tries to dink in a ball, he does, and then De Bruyne on the volley! Wow, just beyond the post, good effort, excellent from Doku. Terrific wing play, De Bruyne with the side-foot just wide. Yeah, he gets you one-on-one, this is brilliant. That's a fabulous area. De Bruyne are probably disappointed with their standards. You can see what he's trying to do.