Brentford 1-3 Manchester City: Phil Foden’s perfect hat-trick shows why champions are about to ease clear in the Premier League title race

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After a pair of instinctive finishes, it was a burst of tempo and the trusted left foot that delivered the closing blow. On the night time the place Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne have been reunited in Manchester City’s assault, a hat-trick from Phil Foden towards Brentford introduced the champions to inside two factors of leaders Liverpool as Pep Guardiola’s facet accomplished one other away comeback in the Premier League. City will return to the prime in the event that they win their recreation in hand – which can also be towards Brentford in two weeks, and after breaking the spell that Thomas Frank’s facet held over them final season, the champions have another excuse to be inspired as they threaten to ease away in the title race.

Brentford have been the solely staff to do the double over City in the final marketing campaign – Guardiola has by no means misplaced to the similar opposition thrice in a row in the league, however Neal Maupay’s opener might have had the Catalan considering that Frank was about to repeat his trick. For a fourth away recreation in a row in the Premier League, City trailed. But like at Newcastle, Everton and Luton, the champions got here from behind to win. A double from Foden both facet of half time turned the match round and broke Brentford’s resilience. An impressed efficiency from goalkeeper Mark Flekken, which in the first half included 9 saves and a long-range help for Maupay’s opener, was shortly undone by Foden’s star flip.

He accomplished his hat-trick with a flourish: working onto Haaland’s lay-off, he eased previous Ethan Pinnock and into the field with an informal burst of acceleration earlier than ending cooly previous Flekken. It was managed brilliance from the 23-year-old, and becoming too that he would supply the targets at the same time as De Bruyne and Haaland began collectively for the first time since the opening day of the season 5 months in the past. After all, it has been the targets of others who’ve City the place they are now, not their two standout stars from final 12 months’s Treble marketing campaign.

It was Foden who helped encourage City’s comeback at Goodison Park simply after Christmas and he produced one other talismanic show right here. First Foden punished the first lapse of focus in the Brentford defence when he, in the third and closing minute of first-half stoppage time, pounced on a poor clearance from Pinnock to steer City degree. Then, shortly after the restart, Foden produced a deft contact from De Bruyne’s inswinging cross to information his header previous Flekken. Finally, it was Haaland’s flip to present the help for Foden’s third.

With the comeback full, it was a well-recognized present of resilience from Guardiola’s facet, which continued one other ominous run: if in earlier seasons City have been carried to the title by hitting their stride and reeling off a successful streak in the spring, theirs this season now stands at 9 in a row. Most alarmingly for Liverpool and Arsenal was the sight of Haaland and De Bruyne beginning in tandem whereas the likes of Foden and Julian Alvarez are in such devastating kind.

Meanwhile De Bruyne continued his spectacular return: now with three assists in as many video games since his game-changing introduction from the bench in final month’s comeback win at Newcastle. But if the Premier League’s help king has resumed the place he left off final season, final 12 months’s golden boot winner may have to be afforded a while. His late lay-off for Foden apart, Haaland was quiet as he returned to lead City’s assault; the striker denied on his one clear alternative when Vitaly Janelt’s misplaced backpass despatched him by way of on objective. Haaland took the ball in his stride and regarded for the far nook however was denied by Flekken.

Though that was additionally the story of the first half, the place it appeared as if Flekken would cease every thing. The goalkeeper additionally produced glorious saves to preserve out two very good curling pictures from Alvarez and a rising, long-range strike from Kyle Walker. To add to his show, Flekken additionally added an help, as Frank turned to his set-piece playbook to briefly stun Guardiola’s facet.  There are many routes to objective after surviving the opening 20 minutes of play, Brentford selected the direct one: Ivan Toney eased Nathan Ake out of the means to create a channel of area for Maupay to run onto Flekken’s punt. With Maupay timing his run to keep onside, he steadied to end previous Ederson and rating for the fifth consecutive recreation.

But after a short interval the place Brentford annoyed City, it quickly turn out to be obvious why Flekken had failed to preserve a Premier League clear sheet in his earlier 11 appearances – and why Brentford have conceded at the very least two targets in their earlier seven. When Pinnock failed to clear De Bruyne’s cross, Foden managed and shot by way of Pinnock’s legs to lastly beat Flekken and provides City a route again into the recreation.

For some time, Brentford continued to make it awkward for City. Few sides get pleasure from a free experience in this nook of west London and Guardiola’s staff had to survive some nervy moments. After falling behind, Christian Norgaard’s goal-bound shot was blocked by Ruben Dias earlier than Josko Gvardiol stopped Maupay’s volley, and Toney volleyed over at the again submit. Ederson was not confronted with a shot to save however was made to look hurried and uncomfortable from Brentford’s stress. But then Foden eased clear to add the third, simply as City are threatening to do in the title race.