Game Week 36 Predictions: Manchester City must beat Brentford to stay in the title race

Manchester City's Erling Haaland is watching his shoulders for the Brentford striker, Igor Thiago, who is just 3 goals off him in the ra...

Manchester City's Erling Haaland is watching his shoulders for the Brentford striker, Igor Thiago, who is just 3 goals off him in the race for the Golden Boot. Will that have a bearing on this fixture at the Etihad? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 Manchester City vs Brentford

Etihad Stadium

5:30pm

It's been a tough week for Manchester City. They went into the week on the back of a 6-point deficit in the title race, and everyone expected them to beat Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium; they didn't.

Jeremy Doku's last-gasp curler that earned the Cityzens a 3-3 draw at Everton will go down as either the goal that earned Manchester City the title or the moment they let it slip. It's no longer in the city's hands; they need Arsenal to slip up with three games to go.

Arsenal will be away to West Ham on Sunday. A win for the Gunners on the road could ultimately confirm the destination of the Premier League title regardless of what City does elsewhere. To stretch it till the end, Manchester City must beat Brentford.

Brentford has evolved from being a weak side to being a serious opposition. When Keith Andrew took over, many must have thrown the Bees into the relegation conversation, but things went the opposite way. Brentford could be playing in the Champions League next season.

The Bees lost their captain to Arsenal and lost their goal threats in Yoan Wissa and Ivan Toney to Newcastle and the Saudi League, respectively. Brentford lost their manager, Thomas Frank, to Spurs; no one expected them to be where they are.

Brentford could still finish sixth this season. If Aston Villa beats Freiburg in the Europa League, 6th spot in the Premier League will confirm Champions League football. What a sensational achievement for everyone at Brentford Football Club.

Manchester City cannot be complacent on Saturday. They know that it's impossible to dream if they don't win on Saturday. The Cityzens are five points off the pace; they do have a game in hand against Crystal Palace in midweek, which would be pointless if they don't do their job against Brentford.

Brentford clinically took out West Ham last weekend. You can question the ambition of the Hammers in that game, but the drive of the Bees proved too much. Glory is in sight for Brentford; they won't be an easy opponent for Manchester City at the Etihad.

Manchester City has lost 17 points from winning positions this season; that's the most under Pep Guardiola. They led at Everton, and the Toffees couldn't even get near them until the second half, where everything went sideways for City.

Manchester City must do better in the second half than they've been doing recently. Brentford is a disciplined side; they won't give too much space away for City to operate. The two sides have something to fight for, and that makes this a cracker of a fixture.

Rodri is still a major doubt for Manchester City. Pep Guardiola hasn't ruled him out of this one, but he's been sorely missed by the club. Jordan Henderson has boosted the visitors' ranks after Keith Andrews confirmed he will be available to play on Saturday.

Igor Thiago is just three goals shy of Erling Haaland's numbers this season. The two hot shots will go head-to-head on Saturday. The likes of Rayan Cherki, Antoine Semenyo, Django Outtarra, and Kevin Schade will join them in the conversation. This should be fun.

Verdict: Manchester City to win.