Game Week 21 Predictions: City to beat Brentford

Brentford hosts Man City at the G-Tech Stadium. Can the champions extend their winning streak, or will the Bees pull off a shock?

Manchester City is on the rise and Erling Haaland is scoring again, will they click at Brentford? (Photo credit: Khel)

 Brentford vs. Manchester City

G-Tech Stadium

8:30 pm

After the third round of the FA Cup, which saw Brentford eliminated by a lower-league side, the Bees are back in action in the Premier League, and what a way to return against the champions!

Manchester City looks like a side on the rise; from the abyss of last year, which saw Pep Guardiola’s side lose ten games in fourteen, they’re beginning to find their feet, sticking wins together, and for the first time since October, Manchester City has won three games on the bounce.

Brentford has only one win in their last five games, but the home loss to struggling Plymouth in the FA Cup must be their lowest. They heaped five goals on Southampton the last time they were in action in the league; they will hope to be able to do that again when they face the champions on Tuesday.

Brentford has relied heavily on the G-Tech Stadium this season, but their strength is starting to wane. They lost to Arsenal on New Year's Day, their second home loss, and hope to rectify that soon.

Manchester City could move into fourth place in the log with a win over Brentford. They’ve been out of the top four since early December, and they have been erased from the title conversations, but can you actually write off a Guardiola side at this stage?

Brentford could look at things from the brighter side too; the Bees could go within four points of Manchester City with a win, that would also push them into the top ten and they can springboard from there however, they must improve their points on the road with the win at Southampton their only three points on the road this season.

How will they both line up? Guardiola has always said they should give him his players; Rodri and Oscar Bobb are the only ones that are clear doubts for this game with checks to be run on John Stones and Ruben Diaz, but everyone else is fit from the 8-0 annihilation of non-league side Salford in the FA Cup.

Brentford is still without a couple of players. Aaron Hickey, Igor Thiago, Josh Da Silva, and Ethan Pinnock are all unavailable, with Kristopher Ajer also out injured. It’s up to Thomas Frank to find the right balance to face the champions and still compete.

Both sides need the result, but while City is the clear favourite, the champions could still be shocked by Brentford. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoan Wissa have it in them to trouble a city defence that doesn’t know how to keep clean sheets; this should be fun.

Verdict: Straight Win City.