Manchester City Triumphs Over Brentford: Haaland Shines Again
Premier League

Manchester City Triumphs Over Brentford: Haaland Shines Again

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Manchester City have maintained their perfect start to the new Premier League season after coming from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon. This thrilling match showcased the brilliance of Erling Haaland, who scored both goals for City, bringing his tally to nine for the season after just four matches.

A Shocking Start for Manchester City

The Citizens made the worst possible start as they fell behind after just 22 seconds. Yoane Wissa headed home from close range, following a mishap in the six-yard box involving John Stones and Ederson. Brentford’s fast start caused City several problems in the early exchanges. The hosts surprisingly lacked composure, struggling to find their rhythm.

City Regains Control

However, Manchester City eventually stamped their authority on the match. Just after the hour mark, Haaland restored parity for the Citizens with a deflected right-footed shot across goal. The Norwegian striker then delicately dinking his second over Mark Flekken after bursting through on goal.

Haaland’s Impact on the Game

A somewhat muted start to the second half was largely dominated by Pep Guardiola’s men. They came close to extending their lead through Savinho and Haaland. The latter was denied a record-breaking third successive hat-trick by the face of the post 10 minutes from time.

Brentford substitute Yegor Yarmolyuk dragged a decent effort wide in stoppage time, but Manchester City held on to claim maximum points. They remain at the top of the Premier League table with a 100% record after four matches. Meanwhile, Thomas Frank’s Brentford slipped to eighth place after suffering their second defeat of the season.

Brentford’s Early Advantage

Brentford could not have gotten off to a better start at the Etihad. They opened the scoring after just 22 seconds, straight from their own kickoff! The Bees pumped the ball forward, and it eventually fell to Keane Lewis-Potter at the back post. He headed the ball across goal, but neither John Stones nor Ederson could clear their lines. This allowed Wissa to head home his third goal of the campaign from close range.

Haaland’s Equalizer

Manchester City restored parity through none other than Erling Haaland inside the opening 19 minutes. Both Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne initially combined before the latter was tackled by Christian Norgaard. The ricochet picked out Haaland inside the area. The Norwegian needed little time to swivel and fire a right-footed shot inside the far post via an Ethan Pinnock deflection.

Haaland’s Second Goal

City took the lead for the first time just after the half-hour mark, courtesy of a delicate finish from Haaland. This was his ninth Premier League goal of the campaign and his 99th for the Citizens. Ederson decided to go long, pumping the ball forward towards Haaland. The striker gently out-muscled Pinnock before bursting through on goal and dinking a sweet finish beyond Mark Flekken into the far corner.

Haaland’s Clinical Finishing

Erling Haaland was in the right place at the right time to fire home his first goal. He expertly dinks his second beyond Flekken, showcasing his clinical finishing. He almost completed his hat-trick late on, only to be denied by the post. The Norwegian makes scoring in the Premier League look easy. Once again, his clinical touch in the final third proved crucial for Manchester City this afternoon.

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