Haaland punishes Brentford slip to move Manchester City a point off top

On 71 minutes, delight for Manchester City and heartbreak for Brentford. Thomas Frank’s ploy of defending with 10 and hoping for a breakaway strike had disrupted the champions who appeared bereft of ideas. But then came the hosts’ sheer quality in a lightning sequence that had Rúben Dias finding Rodri near their area. He passed to Julián Álvarez whose ball landed at the thus-far ineffective Erling Haaland. Not now, though, because as he raced in, Kristoffer Ajer slipped and the deadly 23-year-old beat Mark Flekken to the goalkeeper’s right from inside the D.

Game over, despite Flekken’s appearance in City’s area at a 95th-minute corner. Haaland’s winner moves them to one point behind ­Liverpool, setting up their trip to Anfield on 10 March as a seismic clash that hands the victor total control of their destiny. Strap yourself in for that one.

After a heavy downpour here for the second successive game the surface was suitably greasy for City to ping the ball about, as they adore doing. The Premier League hype machine made much of their two dropped points against Chelsea on Saturday, forgetting that a draw made it nine unbeaten in the league, with Pep Guardiola’s side the land’s best for the past three seasons at judging their run to the tape in late May. Now make it 10 unbeaten.

Guardiola opted for a lesser-seen 4-2-3-1 that had Bernardo Silva alongside Rodri and the two schemers joined the attack incessantly to crowd the zone around their visitors’ area and hassle them. As Haaland did when stomping up to Sergio Reguilón, dispossessing the defender, pivoting, and aiming a sighter that Flekken collected easily.

Brentford’s keeper next flung himself at a corner to try to repel a Phil Foden rocket but this was blocked and Frank’s side escaped.

Chelsea prospered, as so many do against City, via the slick counter so to see Frank Onyeka race clear down an inside-left channel was no surprise. The midfielder, though, latching on to Yoane Wissa’s pass, had to be more decisive than the feeble effort that was no problem for Ederson to clutch.

When Guardiola drops to his haunches it is a sign of stress and he adopted the position after Onyeka claimed a free-kick after Dias challenged. Reguilón touched the ball to Ivan Toney but the centre-forward’s effort sailed high.

The latter is the proverbial nightmare package of strength, control, pace and guile for defenders; as John Stones discovered when he was backed into, barged aside, and had to watch helplessly as the ball was laid off.

Moments later, Álvarez could have used some of Toney’s guile when a Silva corner bounced to him in the area: instead his aim was wild and Guardiola offered a visible sigh. Slightly better came when Álvarez unloaded and Flekken this time needed to dive but, still, the forward’s radar was faulty.

City hogged almost 70% of the ball so Brentford were in siege mode. The dam nearly broke when Stones dropped a lob for a running Kyle Walker whose header found Silva but he spurned the chance from close range.

Dias, too, missed with his forehead from even nearer when Rodri picked him out at the far post, this following a Manuel Akanji 20-yard dipper tipped over by Flekken. Then Oscar Bobb showed the cool required in traffic to drop a shoulder and fire low and hard, Ben Mee’s goalline clearance drawing a hug from Flekken.

All of this was frustrating for City whose mood would have darkened if an Onyeka header had beaten Ederson. It did not and City roved ­downfield. Rodri found Dias, positioned deep in the area yet Flekken again beat the ball away when the defender let fly.

On the bench Kevin De Bruyne waited to be called upon, but he remained there for the whole game. For the second half Guardiola removed his coat as if it was now down to the serious business in the quest for the three points that would move City on to Liverpool’s shoulder. Brentford had the same idea of winning when Foden miscontrolled and they broke, Onyeka galloping through along the right though his cross missed all in a red-and-white striped shirt.

Whatever Guardiola told his players at the break had not been heeded as Brentford were able to make the contest bitty, chopping up City’s usual rhythms.

More than once he bellowed at his charges or paced or complained to his bench. Fifteen days ago a Foden hat-trick downed Brentford 3-1 in the reverse fixture. City had descended to as close to chaotic as they can. A nadir arrived when Silva punted a free-kick sideways and straight out.

Guardiola removed Bobb for Jérémy Doku in the hope the Belgian’s searing speed would be the X factor to break the stalemate. His first act was a chip for Haaland but the Norwegian’s arm hit Mee, Darren England blew, and City were stymied once more.

Haaland’s 17th league goal of this season transformed his and City’s night into joy. In the red half of Merseyside, the emotion is the opposite.