1 month ago
11
Erling Haaland extended his blistering commencement to the play arsenic the Manchester City striker sealed a 1-0 triumph astatine Brentford connected Sunday.
Haaland netted aboriginal successful the archetypal fractional successful westbound London to springiness City a 3rd triumph successful their past 4 Premier League games.
The peerless 25-year-old already has 12 goals successful 9 appearances successful each competitions this season, positive six successful 2 matches for Norway, with Tottenham the lone squad to halt him scoring successful the existent campaign.
City survived a second-half dip to determination into 5th spot successful the Premier League.
“He has been truthful important this play for america I would say. We request much goals from the different ones but the chances were there,” City brag Pep Guardiola said.
Guardiola’s broadside are unbeaten successful their past 7 games successful each competitions since losing astatine Brighton successful August.
City inactive way leaders Arsenal by 3 points but they spell into the planetary interruption with renewed impetus aft a dilatory commencement to the season.
The lone interest for Guardiola was the show of Rodri being forced disconnected with a first-half wounded aft appearing to harm his hamstring.
The Spain midfielder has struggled to decorativeness games since coming backmost astatine the Club World Cup successful the summertime pursuing anterior cruciate ligament surgery.
Rodri, who won the prestigious Ballon d’Or aft his superb signifier successful 2024, lone managed to play for an hr against Monaco aft sitting retired City’s 2 erstwhile fixtures.
“Hopefully, it volition not beryllium huge,” Guardiola said of Rodri’s latest injury.
Haaland had been successful typically objective signifier successful the 2-2 gully astatine Monaco connected Wednesday, Guardiola’s men doubly squandered the pb arsenic they conceded a last-gasp equaliser.
They wouldn’t repetition their Champions League mistakes arsenic they secured Guardiola’s 250th Premier League victory.
“We played an outstanding archetypal fractional that is adjacent to our champion successful galore things. The occupation is erstwhile you don’t people much it’s hard successful the 2nd fractional and this happened. But successful general, truly pleased with this month,” Guardiola said.
Guardiola amazingly near Belgian winger Jeremy Doku connected the seat contempt his awesome commencement to the season.
– Haaland breaks duck –
Despite Doku’s absence, City were successful implicit bid successful the archetypal half.
Josko Gvardiol wasted an aboriginal accidental erstwhile helium headed consecutive astatine Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Phil Foden’s corner.
But Haaland was chasing his archetypal Premier League extremity astatine the Gtech Community Stadium — 1 of lone 2 arenas, on with Anfield, helium had failed to people astatine successful the apical flight.
And the Norway striker took conscionable 9 minutes to extremity his hold for a extremity connected Brentford soil.
Gvardiol’s agelong walk caught Brentford defenders Sepp van den Berg and Nathan Collins flat-footed arsenic Haaland raced wide to blast a fierce decorativeness past Kelleher.
Even by his standards Haaland is exceptionally prolific successful London, having scored a singular 21 league goals successful 22 games successful the English capital.
Rodri’s unconvincing instrumentality from the superior genu wounded that sidelined him for astir of past play suffered a large setback erstwhile helium limped disconnected successful the 22nd minute.
City tried to motion disconnected the departure of their influential prima arsenic Oscar Bobb acceptable up Foden, but the guardant couldn’t support his effort connected target.
Tijjani Reijnders went overmuch closer, gathering Nico O’Reilly’s transverse with a rocket that brought a bully halt from Kelleher.
Brentford yet carved retired an incisive onslaught instantly aft the interval.
Igor Thiago near City’s defenders trailing successful his wake, but the Brazilian fluffed his lines arsenic Gianluigi Donnarumma raced retired to save.
City had mislaid their grip and Brentford threatened again erstwhile Kevin Schade’s transverse was headed implicit by Michael Kayode.
Kayode’s agelong throws were troubling the City defence, but the visitors held steadfast to wrapper up a invaluable victory.
English (US) ·