In the last round, Manchester City’s six-match winning streak in the Premier League was interrupted. On their home turf, the citizens couldn’t beat Chelsea (1:1), trailing during the match and only leveling the score in the 83rd minute. In the league standings, the defending champions are positioned third, trailing Arsenal by two points and Liverpool by four. A victory today would allow them to surpass the Gunners. It’s worth noting that Manchester City has not lost at home in the Premier League, a record shared with Liverpool. Before the Chelsea game, Pep Guardiola’s team had a three-match winning streak at home in the league. Defender Jo?o Cancelo remains sidelined due to injury.
Brentford approaches the upcoming away game after a heavy defeat to Liverpool at home (1:4). In that match, the Bees couldn’t oppose the league leaders, succumbing in all aspects, resulting in a predictable final score. In the league table, the Londoners are in 14th place, six points clear of the relegation zone. In recent matches, it’s evident that Brentford can only compete on relatively equal terms with lower-tier and mid-table Premier League teams. Over the last five rounds, Thomas Frank’s squad suffered three defeats, all against top-5 teams (Manchester City, Tottenham, and Liverpool). Squad issues also affect their performance and results. In Manchester, injured defenders Ethan Pinnock, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, as well as forwards Joshua Da Silva, Kevin Shad?, and Bryan Mbeumo will be unavailable for today’s game.
