Erling Haaland’s remarkable goal-scoring spree in the Premier League has only been interrupted by the international break, and now Brentford is set to face Manchester City’s prodigious striker this Saturday.
Brentford, having secured victories over Crystal Palace and Southampton in their opening three matches, now confront a formidable challenge at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City has been flawless this season, winning all three of their league games with Haaland leading the charge. The Norwegian striker has already made history by scoring seven goals in the first three matches, including back-to-back hat-tricks against Ipswich Town and West Ham, and an additional goal against Chelsea on the opening weekend.
Haaland is now eyeing Wayne Rooney’s record of eight goals in Manchester United’s first four games of the 2011-12 season. Given Haaland’s current form, it’s highly likely he could set a new benchmark by Saturday evening.
Supporting Haaland will be Jérémy Doku, whose incredible ability to advance the ball has seen him cover 747.8 meters this season through progressive carries—almost 300 meters more than any other player. The Belgian also leads the league with 64 progressive carries and 17 take-ons, which means Brentford’s defenders might be in for a tough time.
While stopping Haaland is already a monumental task, trying to overcome Pep Guardiola’s well-oiled machine adds another layer of difficulty for Thomas Frank’s team.
Manchester City is aiming to extend their perfect start to the season. The club has achieved a perfect record in their opening four top-flight matches on eight previous occasions (1903-04, 1912-13, 1961-62, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2023-24), more than any other team. They are also on a 12-game winning streak in the Premier League, with each victory coming by a margin of at least two goals. Under Guardiola, City has been responsible for six of the 16 runs of 12+ consecutive wins in English top-flight history.
Brentford’s away record is less encouraging. They have suffered 13 away defeats since the start of last season—the most of any current Premier League team. Additionally, they have lost their last five away games against teams that finished in the Premier League’s top four the previous season.
Despite their struggles on the road, Brentford boasts some attacking talent. Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa have scored in Brentford’s 3-1 win over Southampton and are responsible for the majority of their goals this season. The duo has struck in 13 matches together, more than any other pair in Brentford’s history.
Tactically, Brentford has shifted from their usual high pressing, allowing opponents an average of 16.7 passes per defensive action—an indication of a more relaxed defensive approach.
Brentford will be missing Igor Thiago, Aaron Hickey, Rico Henry, and Joshua Dasilva, while Manchester City’s Phil Foden is a doubt for Saturday’s match due to his recent withdrawal from international duty. Brazilian winger Savinho is also questionable, and Oscar Bobb remains the only long-term absentee for City.
In their previous encounters, Manchester City has won four of their six Premier League games against Brentford, including a double in the 2021-22 and last season. Haaland’s decisive goal in the February fixture and Foden’s hat-trick in last season’s away win highlight City’s dominance.
Brentford’s recent victory at the Etihad in November 2022, courtesy of Ivan Toney’s stoppage-time goal, remains a bright spot for them. However, Manchester City is unbeaten in 45 home games across all competitions since that defeat (W38 D7), and the odds favor them to continue their streak.
According to the Opta supercomputer, Manchester City is overwhelmingly favored to win, with a 76.1% chance of victory in simulations. Brentford has a slim 9.7% chance of replicating their previous success at the Etihad, with a draw being slightly more probable at 14.1%. The end-of-season predictions also favor Manchester City to win the title, with an 84.5% probability, while Brentford is projected to drop from sixth to 11th place in most simulations.
