Game week 24 predictions: City to beat Brentford at the Etihad

Phil Foden scored the only goal when these two sides met in December, who will stand up to the occasion on Wednesday? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Manchester City vs Brentford
Etihad Stadium
8:45pm

The Cityzens have the chance to go twelve points clear of Liverpool if they beat the Bees on Wednesday night but they also would have played two more games than the Kops.

Manchester City are the clear favorites for the title but there’s a little chance of a potential slip up should they drop points in any game and Liverpool take advantage, it’s not wrapped up yet and with continental games starting next week, City must be careful.

It isn’t going according to plans for Brentford as they lie 14^th on the log and should Norwich win on Wednesday, the Bees would be just five points above the drop zone if they lose at the Etihad to Manchester City.

There’s so much quality in the City squad that you think they will beat anyone even with their second eleven but complacency can set in especially when it’s time to prioritize games; they are still very much in the FA Cup and their obsession with the champions league is well documented.

Riyad Mahrez is back from AFCON and even scored over the weekend in the FA Cup, it’s unclear as at now if Jack Grealish will feature following another night out escapades at a bar, although Pep Guardiola joked about it that he will only punish the culprits for not inviting him but we know there could be more.

Brentford Manager Thomas Frank is optimistic that his team will not be drawn into the relegation dogfight but they have to start picking points and stop conceding cheap goals. They dominate games against midtable oppositions but struggle to close them out.

Bryan Mbeumo is available for selection and Ivan Toney is too, the latter was linked to a potential move to Arsenal in the January window but the Danish manager is happy that has been laid to rest, Toney is yet to prove his numbers in the premier league but the second half promises to be great for him.

City will be without Gabriel Jesus but Raheem Sterling is available to fill in the role upfront; City lost Ferran Torres to Barcelona and the young River Plate striker they got will only join in the summer so expect quite a number of false 9s.

It’s City’s game to lose to be honest but we’ve seen shockers this season and the lost at home to Crystal Palace comes to mind. The Bees know a lot about shockers as they beat Arsenal on the opening day but the question is: Is everyday Christmas?