Man City vs. Brentford score, stats, highlights result: Doku dazzles again in vital Premier League win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER – Jeremy Doku continued his fine run of form as Manchester City battled to 3-0 win over Brentford that keeps their Premier League title hopes alive.
The Belgium winger salvaged a point as he completed a fabulous brace deep into stoppage time at Everton on Monday night and he broke the deadlock with another unerring strike into the top corner to puncture the Etihad Stadium tension with an hour played.
City had to ride their luck at times, with Matheus Nunes reprieved for a couple of untidy last-man challenges on Kevin Schade. Gianluigi Donnarumma made a superb save to deny the Golden Boot-chasing Igor Thiago when the score was 0-0.
But Erling Haaland extended his advantage over Thiago at the top of the Premier League scoring charts with 15 minutes remaining. The giant Norwegian picked through some penalty box chaos to net his 26th Premier League goal of the season with an improvised backheel finish.
The more pertinent statistic is Arsenal's lead at the summit is cut to two ahead of their trip to relegation-threatened West Ham tomorrow.
This state of affairs was confirmed when substitute Omar Marmoush arrowed home a smart finish to crown a fine counter-attack in stoppage time. The margin of victory is another positive for Pep Gaurdiola's side in the event of a gripping race for glory going down to goal difference. At fulltime, those figures read Arsenal +41 and City +40. City have scored five more goals than their rivals.
There is still plenty more road to travel before that stuff has any chance of really mattering, though. City play their game in hand at home to Conference League finalists Crystal Palace on Wednesday.
MORE:Predicting Arsenal's title run-in vs. Man City
Man City vs. Brentford live score
Referee: Michael Salisbury
Starting lineups:
Man City (4-2-3-1 right to left): 25 Gianluigi Donnarumma (GK) — 27. Matheus Nunes, 15. Marc Guehi, 6. Nathan Ake, 33. Nico O'Reilly — 4. Tijjani Reijnders, 20. Bernardo Silva — 14. Antoine Semenyo, 10. Rayan Cherki, 11. Jeremy Doku — 9. Erling Haaland
Brentford (4-2-3-1, right to left): 1. Caoimhin Kelleher (GK) – 33. Michael Kayode, 20. Kristoffer Ajer, 22. Nathan Collins, 2. Aaron Hickey – 18. Yehor Yarmolyuk, 8. Mathias Jensen – 23. Keane Lewis-Potter, 24. Mikkel Damsgaard, 7. Kevin Schade – 9. Igor Thiago
Man City vs. Brentford match stats
Man City
Stat
Brentford
23
Shots
4
9
Shots on target
2
2.98
Expected goals
0.24
60%
Possession
40%
445
Passes
309
10
Corners
2
8
Fouls
14
4
Yellow cards
2
0
Offsides
2
Man City vs. Brentford talking points, analysis
Huge week for Doku in the title race
A little over a week ago, few people would have banked on Myles Lewis-Skelly injecting irresistible new energy into the Arsenal midfield or Jeremy Doku scoring a succession of clutch goals to keep up Manchester City's chase. It's a funny old game.
This isn't to say Doku had lacked influence at City this season. On the contrary, the box-of-tricks winger had added more gears to his game, showing a capacity to speed up and slow down the play. He is also far more adept out of possession, which is key given how important City's full-backs are to their attacking patterns.
But, as the player himself identified in an interview prior to the FA Cup semifinal against Southampton a fortnight ago, he must add goals to his game to be considered among the world's best. At the time of that conversation with reporters, he had four goals this season. He now has eight. His deflected effort against Saints at Wembley with City 1-0 carried a large slice of fortune as his shot deflected and bobbled into the bottom corner. His Monday night brace in the 3-3 draw at Everton and today's opener were all strikes out of the top drawer.
It's not as if the other facets of Doku's game have taken a backseat either. Against Brentford, he completed six take-ons and created six chances for teammates. Haaland and Marmoush eventually got in on the act, but when Doku thrillingly found the breakthrough goal with his solo effort from a short corner, it felt like he was keeping City gripped onto Arsenal's coattails all by himself.
Guardiola's attacking gambles pay off
Of all his selection gambles at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola's Champions League final team sheet against Chelsea in Porto has a particular status of infamy. At least one of Fernandinho or Rodri has started 59 out of City's 60 games in the 2020/21 season. For the showpiece, he selected neither; a chaotic performance followed and Chelsea claimed a 1-0 upset win.
There were shades of that gamble here. Rodri is now a non-negotiable selection when available, the best in his position in the world, even after an ACL injury. But a groin problem has kept the Spain international sidelined for longer than expected by a groin problem. His deputy, Nico Gonzalez, was laboured as the 3-3 draw at Everton flew off the rails. In response, Guardiola selected Tijjani Reijnders – almost exclusively used in attacking positions this season – at the base of his midfield alongside Bernardo Silva. Despite a dicey opening to the game, the duo helped City to establish control before the break.
However, with the score still 0-0 at the hour approached, Guardiola opted to twist. He replaced Reijnders and Rayan Cherki with the more forward-thinking Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush. Doku scored from the next attack, which suddenly made City feel short-handed in terms of defending a 1-0 lead. Bernardo remained in holding midfield on his own, on a yellow card. But the energy and intent of the attacking quintet of Haaland, Doku, Foden, Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo ultimately caused a tiring Brentford more problems than a slightly exposed City defence suffered in return.
Man City vs. Brentford reaction
Pep Guardiola
On Jeremy Doku's improvement: "If you want to become a better player you have to win games by yourself. It's not enough to have good actions and crosses for the other ones so they do it. You have to win games. He scored a goal with his right foot against Everton for 3-3, but the first goal was with his left. Now, I'm pretty sure every time it's going to happen, defenders will block the shot and not leave the space to do this. Now he has to be clever to shoot or make an extra pass and maybe another player will be free.
"Everybody knows an incredible step in that sense that he says: 'I'm Jeremy Doku, I'm going to win games.' The big players, the greatest players, always they have that mentality."
On his attacking substitutions at 0-0: "It's good. It's the message that you have to send. Sometimes you don't have time to say to the players what to do. If you bring a lot of defenders, you are saying to the players that you have to defend. If you have more strikers or people up front, it's a message that you have to attack. Not for the goal difference, to be honest, just to win the game. And after the consequences happen. But always it is a threat because we don't have proper holding midfielders defensively and you cannot relax against Brentford for the pace they have up front."
On the pressure of the title race: I love it, I love to be here again. We will finish second this season, minimum, and I love to be here. I didn't enjoy last season. The moment when we were fighting to qualify for the Champions League was so difficult. Now we have the Carabao Cup in our pocket; we have the FA Cup final at Wembley, the most beautiful game of the season. I love it. Tension, no, no. When you have the feeling that the job has been good, well done. When you arrive, fighting against Arsenal, many changes that have happened, the spirit of the team, how they help each other in every training session. I saw that behind the scenes, it's a joy to work with them."
Manchester City
Getty Images
Keith Andrews
On Kevin Schade's penalty claims against Matheus Nunes: "The one from the first half, I haven't seen that one back. The coaches said they think there might have been a bit of contact on the ball. The one in the second half, when Kevin is going through and Thaigo squares it to him, in what world he goes down if there isn't contact is beyond me. That's the one I'm struggling to comprehend a little. The comment [from the referee] was there was not enough contact. The officials have a difficult job, I do genuinely appreciate that, with the speed of the game."
On Brentford's performance: "You’ve always got a plan, but so have they. You have to be so focused and organised, the personality has to be there in abundance. We’d started the second half really well. Their first goal is a wonder strike, the second goal is scruffy and the third, we're chasing the game. I liked a lot of what we did today. I liked the approach. Admittedly, I don't like the scoreline, but there's a lot that we can take for the next few games."
On Jeremy Doku: "He's a top player. People who haven't seen him play only need to look at the game on Monday night. I think you can over-cover him, you can put two players on him, but with the nature of City, the level of talent that they have, if you do that there's always going to be room for someone else to exploit that. If it's not Doku, it's going to be someone else stepping up at this stage of the season. That's the luxury that Pep has; he's got phenomenal, game-changing players in big moments to decide games. Ultimately, that's what Doku did on the first goal."
"You try to strike a balance because it's not just Jeremy Doku. It's Semenyo, it's Haaland, it's O'Reilly arriving in the pockets, Reijnders making half-space runs. It's a collective effort as it always is at City. One week it'll be Doku, next week it'll be someone else."
Doku fez mais um gol pelo Manchester City
Getty Images
Man City vs. Brentford highlights, key incidents
90+2 min: 3-0! Marmoush!!! Sweeping City counterattack, Haaland turns provider and Marmoush gives a reminder of his own finishing prowess, arrowing an assured strike across Kelleher.
83 mins: Astonishing save from Kelleher! Doku gets to the byline, Foden applies the finish at the near post. That's flying into the corner, job done. But no, Brentford's Ireland goalkeeper springs full length and somehow turns the ball over the bar. That's absolutely incredible goalkeeping.
75 mins: Haaland makes it 2-0! That's the breathing space City needed. Chaos in the Brentford box and Haaland fashions a clever backheeled finish for his 26th Premier League goal of the season.
71 mins: Brentford penalty claim rejected! Brenford surge forward, as they have so often. Shades of offside perhaps, but Schade is down in a heap, Nunes at the scene of the crime again. Minimal contact and the ball not under control but not enough for Salisbury to visit the screen.
67 mins: Almost 2-0! The ball is slipped to Foden inside a crowded penalty area. He loves scoring against Brentford, but Kelleher is out to make a sharp save.
60 mins: Jeremy Doku does it again! City lead 1-0
Fresh from his spectacular midweek brace against Everton, Doku scores another pearler, cutting in from a short corner on the left. He gets a bit of luck as the ball bounces back to him off a defender but creams it into the top corner.
A sidenote: Just before the goal, Guardiola brought in Foden and Marmoush for Reijnders and Cherki. This is now very attacking team to see out a 1-0 win. Bernardo Silva is playing in holding midfield on his own, on a yellow card.
55 mins: End-to-end feel after half time and Brentford sweep forward, Kayode playing Thiago through. Donnarumma stands firm to make an excellent save and his defence scramble behind.
Halftime
City have steadied the ship and dominated the final 20 minutes of the half, but tempers are fraying here. Home captain Bernardo Silva got one of the more unusual bookings of the season when he appeared to hit Nathan Collins in the back of the calf with his arm after the Brentford skipper threw him to the floor. The home fans boo referee Michael Salisbury at halftime. The official hasn't exactly won a new friends in Pep Guardiola, but it's hard to pinpoint any huge gripes City should be allowing themselves to linger on.
25 mins: Semenyo has Hickey and Damsgaard for company but gets the cross in. Haaland's header is on target this time but Kelleher can get behind it with ease.
22 mins: Now then… Schade springs the City offside trap, Nunes in pursuit and they both tumble. No foul! If it had been, the Manchester City right-back was walking. Keith Andrews is furious on the touchline. It did look more like a stumble from Nunes and a coming together, but hearts were definitely in mouths around the Etihad Stadium.
20 mins: City have been easily second-best here but finally fashion a sustained attack. Bernardo Silva goes for the spectacular with the outside of his left boot. Not too far away. Now Haaland with a header on the end of Doku's cross… over, should score.
8 mins: Oh my! Donnarumma gets himself in a dreadful mess under Kayode's first long throw of the afternoon and needs Matheus Nunes to hack off the line.
Man City vs. Brentford upcoming schedules
Man City upcoming fixtures
Date
Competition
Match
Location
Wed, May 13
Premier League
Man City vs. Crystal Palace
Etihad Stadium
Sat, May 16
FA Cup final
Chelsea vs. Man City
Wembley
Tue, May 19
Premier League
Bournemouth vs. Man City
Vitality Stadium
Brentford upcoming fixtures
Date
Competition
Match
Location
Wed, May 13
Premier League
Man City vs. Crystal Palace
Etihad Stadium
Sat, May 16
FA Cup final
Chelsea vs. Man City
Wembley
Tue, May 19
Premier League
Bournemouth vs. Man City
Vitality Stadium
