The English champions were dominant in the course of with out ever hitting top form as Brentford succumbed to a 6th directly defeat which can see the Bees dragged right into a relegation conflict. Brentford had held out bravely for forty minutes until a mistimed tackle from Mads Roerslev delivered down Raheem Sterling and Mahrez coolly slotted away the penalty.
Until that factor City had been responsible of not taking their probabilities as Sterling fired over on the volley from Phil Foden's perfect pass and Aymeric Laporte aspect-footed inches wide from Ruben Dias' knockdown. The hosts by no means appeared in risk of conceding as they registered a 14th smooth sheet in 23 league video games this season. However, Pep Guardiola's celebrations whilst the second aim in the end arrived 20 mins from time instructed the story of nerves starting to construct around the Etihad that their dominance changed into now not displaying on the scoreboard.
Brentford's willpower to play out from the returned stuck them out as David Raya exceeded immediately to Sterling. The Spanish goalkeeper redeemed himself via saving a one-on-one with the England global, however the ball fell kindly for De Bruyne to roll in his 8th intention of the season.
Christian Eriksen was now not a number of the Brentford squad as he edges slowly toward a return to football after struggling a cardiac arrest just eight months in the past at Euro 2020. But they'll need some concept from the Dane to live on their first season within the English pinnacle flight for 74 years.
A shiny start approach Thomas Frank's guys nonetheless have a six-factor cushion over the lowest three, but they're the fading force and all the aspects underneath them within the table have games in hand. City don't have any such issues as they near in on a fourth identify within the past 5 years.
