Analysis, team news, officials and statistics. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Brentford’s Premier League game against Manchester City.

Brentford’s final action before the World Cup break could hardly be much tougher, with a trip to the reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.

The hosts are just two points off top spot heading into the game while the Bees can move back into the top half by taking all three points.

The Opposition

Manchester City

How do you improve a side that has won four of the past five Premier League titles? Give them the hottest goalscoring talent in world football.

Speculation about how Erling Haaland would adapt to the English game was the big talking point around Manchester City over the summer and, so far, it’s been a resounding success.

The 22-year-old is on track to smash the Premier League’s scoring records, having netted 18 goals, with three assists, during his first dozen top flight games in England.

Haaland scored three hattricks in his first eight Premier League matches and it was he who grabbed the late winner last weekend against Fulham which saw ten-man City keep pace with leaders Arsenal.

With so much focus this season on one man, it’s easy to overlook the vast array of talent that Pep Guardiola’s side has elsewhere on the pitch.

Manchester City lead almost every positive individual and team statistic going this season. They are the league’s top scorers with 39 goals while they, and Ederson, have kept a joint League-high six clean sheets.

Kevin De Bruyne has contributed the most assists with nine while, not surprisingly for a team that’s averaged 66 per cent possession in matches this term (another league high) Rodri has had the most touches and made the most passes in the top-flight.

On a team level, City average the most shots on target per game (6.3) and give up the fewest shots per game (7.1).

Away from the Premier League, City cruised through their Champions League group. They took 14 points from a possible 18, scoring 14 goals along the way, to qualify with a game to spare and set up a last 16 tie against RB Leipzig.

They are also still in the hunt for a fifth EFL Cup title in six years after seeing off Chelsea 2-0 at the Etihad on Wednesday night. Their reward for that victory is a home last 16 tie against Liverpool next month.

That win over The Blues kept up City’s remarkable record at home, stretching back to April. Since being held 2-2 by Liverpool in the Premier League, City have reeled off 16 straight home wins in all competitions, scoring 61 goals and conceding 15.

All bar three of City’s first team squad will be heading off to Qatar for the World Cup after tomorrow’s game; Haaland, Riyad Mahrez, and Sergio Gomez the exceptions. City are the biggest contributor to Gareth Southgate’s England squad with Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kalvin Phillips, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish all receiving their Three Lions call-up on Thursday.

The Gameplan

With Manchester Evening News journalist Simon Bajkowski

Simon Bajkowski of Manchester Evening News assesses goalscoring phenomenon Erling Haaland in Hot off the Press: “He is just out of this world and I do not think I have seen a striker like him in the Premier League before. His work on the ball is tremendous, but it is also his work off the ball, with the way he terrorises defenders simply by being there, which has helped his team-mates as well. He has added a lot more than even people at City were expecting him to add.”

Team News

Thomas Frank's pre-match press conference

Christian Nørgaard and Vitaly Janelt are both available but Pontus Jansson (hamstring), Kristoffer Ajer (knee), Thomas Strakosha, Aaron Hickey (both ankle), Shandon Baptiste and Charlie Goode (knee) are all sidelined.

Erling Haaland is an injury doubt due to a foot injury while Aymeric Laporte went off as a precaution on Wednesday night during City’s Carabao Cup victory over Chelsea.

Kalvin Phillips did return in that game but Kyle Walker, who was also named in England’s World Cup squad, hasn’t featured since early October. Joao Cancelo is available after serving his one-match suspension in midweek.

The Boss

Pep Guardiola

The phrase 'has won it all' might have been invented for Pep Guardiola.

The 51-year-old has put ten league titles, 12 domestic cups, two Champions Leagues, two FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Super Cups in the trophy cabinet since taking up management with Barcelona in 2008.

His first season in charge ended with Barca becoming the first Spanish side to win the treble of LaLiga, Copa Del Rey, and Champions League; Guardiola, in the process, also became the youngest man to win the Champions League as a manager. 

In 2011, after leading the club to another LaLiga and Champions League double, Guardiola was awarded the Catalan Parliament's Gold Medal, their highest honour. The same year, he was also named the FIFA World Coach of the Year. He ended his four-year Barcelona stint in 2012 with 14 honours, a club record.

Following a sabbatical, Bayern Munich announced Guardiola would join the club as manager in 2013.

Guardiola won the Bundesliga every season he was there, as well as two domestic doubles.

He left the Bavarians for Manchester City in 2016 and guided them to a Premier League title in his second campaign in charge, breaking numerous records as the team became the first to pass 100 league points.

He won a second consecutive Premier League and EFL Cup the following season, as well as the FA Cup, becoming the first manager to win the domestic treble in English men's football.

He also holds the records for the most consecutive league games won in LaLiga, the Bundesliga, and the Premier League.

Last Meeting

Manchester City 2 Brentford 0 (Premier League, 9 February 2022)

Match Officials

Referee: Peter Bankes

Assistants: Eddie Smart and Nick Greenhalgh

Fourth official: Darren Bond

VAR: David Coote

Assistant VAR: Nick Hopton

Saturday’s game will be Peter Bankes’ 14th game in charge of Brentford, stretching back to a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in April 2016.

The Bees have lost just four of those previous 13 games.

Last season saw a draw, away at Aston Villa in August, a dramatic victory over West Ham United in October, and January’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. His one outing so far this term came away at Craven Cottage in August.

The Merseyside official, who is in his fourth season in the Select Group 1 of top-flight referees, has shown 59 yellow cards, and one red, in 12 outings this season.

Manchester City 22/23

99 fouls – fewest in Premier League

9 yellow cards – fewest in Premier League

1 red card – third-most in Premier League