What Manuel Akanji did for Man City and pep Guardiola was angry as John Stones shows magic

What Manuel Akanji did for Man City and pep Guardiola was angry as John Stones shows magic

Manchester City news with the finer moments from the Etihad Stadium as Pep Guardiola shows true colours in big win over Brentford

Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola cut a frustrated figure once again for Man City

Manchester City and Erling Haaland put their finishing woes from Saturday night behind them – or just about – as they closed the gap to Liverpool at the top of the table to just one point.

 

Even if it might only be for 24 hours, Pep Guardiola’s men ensured that there wasn’t to be a second boost of the week for Arsenal and the title rivals as City beat Brentford 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.

 

Once more frustrated for large periods at home, City found the breakthrough as Haaland found the net with his 14th effort in 160 minutes of football. His counter-attack goal secured a valuable three points for the champions as they moved up to second with each of the top three having played 25 games.

 

It could have been more for City as they penned their visitors in for large periods but, unlike the draw with Chelsea and the reverse of this fixture last year, the territorial dominance was reflected in the final scoreline.

 

Here are some of the finer points from the Etihad Stadium …

 

Magician Stones

John Stones returned to the City lineup after remaining an unused substitute against Chelsea, and it didn’t take long for him to show his quality. In what has been a stop-start season for the General, Stones slotted back into his usual hybrid role that is so important for Guardiola’s men.

 

Perhaps his standout moment for the game was snuffing out all danger from an ambitious Mark Flekken kick aimed in-behind the City defence, but not just cutting out the pass, controlling it in style.

 

The 29-year-old appeared to levitate as he waited for the ball to cushion onto his chest, before allowing it to roll down onto his feet. Stones then carried the ball unopposed well into the Brentford half with grace and composure that Manuel Akanji was simply unable to do on Saturday.

 

Guardiola insisted that the Swiss defender can play the role but the reality is he would have struggled to make such slick progress on the ball from the same situation. Albeit Stones would also have faced a more intense press from Chelsea, unlike Brentford’s determination to not let their defensive block leave the box, it was a moment that shows just what City miss without their keystone.

 

Peeved Pep

Not for the first time this week, Guardiola cut a frustrated figure on the touchline. There haven’t been too many more anger-inducing periods for City over the last year or so like the first halves on display in the past three days, and it showed.

 

After an opening with just a few half-chances, Guardiola had to urge the Etihad Stadium crowd to be more patient with their team after just 30 minutes.

 

The supporters were encouraging Ederson to take a goal-kick short only for the ‘keeper to take his time on the ball. Ironically, City nearly scored seconds later as Bernardo Silva found himself in a nice position but missed the target. Guardiola 1-0 Crowd?

 

If that’s the case then the true extent of Guardiola’s little performance with his followers was not long after that again. He gestured to those in the stands, telling them to stop pushing for his players – namely the extremely advanced centre-backs – to shoot.

 

Akanji chose who he wanted to listen to in the end. His bending shot, resembling Rodri’s strike against Bayern Munich last year, was well saved by Flekken. Guardiola 1-1 Crowd.

 

Premature Foden

Such was the general lack of clear-cut chances for City in the opening hour, when one did come along it was a big deal. For so much of the game, there was relatively idle possession without the usual cutting edge from the champions, and this was summed up by Silva’s stray free-kick after the break.

 

Under no pressure at all, and simply looking to get the ball back in play, the midfielder slotted the ball between his teammates on the right flank in an unnecessary switch of play, sending it out for a throw-in.

 

As Brentford offered a genuine threat on the break at times there was an understandable eagerness to try and get things into gear for City. Oscar Bobb nearly provided that.

 

Cutting inside from the left, where he had been preferred to Jeremy Doku, the winger danced around the defensive legs before cooly placing the ball past Flekken and on its way into the goal. Watch Phil Foden in this move and you’d think it nestled into the net.

 

Had it not been for a truly miraculous Ben Mee block on the line, it would have. The former Burnley man managed to cover for the goalkeeper, lean back and end up in the net himself, and kick out a leg to divert Bobb’s shot, all in one motion.

 

Foden couldn’t quite believe it. He had both hands raised on the edge of the box in anticipation of the scoring being opened. He had even started to run over to Bobb in celebration before realising that it somehow hadn’t gone in.

 

The Englishman then transitioned from celebration into appeal – Stuart Broad would have been proud – as he questioned the referee over what the goalline technology had to say.