Brentford vs. Manchester City: Prediction, Preview & Betting Tips

The Bees have been exceptionally strong on home soil this season, but they have had a wobble in recent weeks as they come into this game off the back of three straight defeats on home soil. City, by contrast, have won their last three games on the spin and are amidst their best run of form in a long while.

Both teams to score has occurred in four of Brentford's last five games at home in the league and three of City's last five league games on the road, so we think we'll see goals at both ends in what should result in three points for the visitors. Brentford 1-2 Manchester City.

Manchester City are looking to ascend up the Premier League table as they take on Brentford this weekend.

• Date: 14/01/2025
• Kick-off time: 19:30
• Location: Brentford Community Stadium, West London

Brentford come into this game 11th in the Premier League with 27 points from 20 games. The Bees are enjoying an impressive season in England’s top flight as they go in search of their highest finish since promotion to the Premier League in 2021.

Thomas Frank’s side suffered somewhat last season, their third year in the Premier League, but they’re now firmly back on track, displaying the kind of form that guided them to a 9th place finish in 2022-23. It’s not all entirely rosy for the Bees, however, who do have chinks in their armour. There is quite a big disparity between Brentford’s home form and their form on the road - with their away form notably poor - and, uncharacteristically, they’ve been very questionable at the back. Under Frank, Brentford have prided themselves on a strong defensive structure, but they’ve been puzzlingly weak in the defensive department this season, conceding 35 goals in 20 games.

However, they’ve made up for that with impressive attacking output, particularly from Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa, who have 13 and 10 goals respectively. Mbeumo in particular is hot property, and it’s quite likely that he’s going to be highly courted by a number of big clubs this summer.

Additionally, while Brentford’s away form has been poor, their home form has been excellent, and the Bees have a history of troubling Pep Guardiola’s side - by the Spaniard’s own admission. With how much City have struggled this season, Brentford will be quitely confident about their own chances here, even if they are coming off the back of a poor result.

Manchester City are currently 6th in the Premier League with 34 points from 20 games. The Sky Blues are having their worst season since Pep Guardiola took charge of the club as they face a fight to save their campaign. City’s performance levels have been on the floor in comparison to their usual level, and Guardiola is frantically searching for solutions to get his team back on track.

City have been at sixes and sevens defensively all season, and not only is rectifying that issue the most pressing need, it's likely the toughest solution to find. Guardiola’s side have looked incredibly vulnerable in transitions and the league’s better sides have found it far too easy to get at them, and the issue is so glaring that City have opted to dip into their pockets in this month’s transfer window. According to reports, City are on the verge of completing a deal for Uzbek centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens to the tune of €40m, and in Khusanov, they’re signing one of the most heralded prospects in Europe. Whether or not Khusanov’s introduction will solve City’s defensive issues is contentious, but at the very least he’ll provide an injection of significant speed to a defence that is lacking in mobility.

After winning just one game in a 13-match stretch, City have now picked up consecutive wins in the league, and some believe there are signs they’re starting to improve. It’s hard to draw such a conclusion yet, but a win here would be a huge moment in City’s season and could well signify a turning of the tables.

This game will be televised live to all subscribed viewers in the UK on TNT Sports 2.

Brentford Team News:

The Bees made seven changes for their FA Cup third round tie with Plymouth Argyle at the weekend, so the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will come back into the starting XI.

Brentford are still contending with a deep injury crisis, with Ben Mee, Kristoffer Ajer, Igor Thiago, Ethan Pinnock, Gustavo Nunes, Aaron Hickey and Josh Dasilva all on the treatment table.

Predicted lineup: Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, Van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard, Jensen, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa, Schade.

Man City Team News:

The visitors come into this game without the services of John Stones and Rúben Dias, while Rodri and Oscar Bobb both continue to miss out.

After making a number of changes to their side for their FA Cup tie with Salford at the weekend, expect most of the big guns to return, with a similar XI to the one that started the win over West Ham highly likely.

Predicted lineup: Ortega; Lewis, Akanji, Aké, Gvardiol; Kovačić; Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Sávio; Haaland.

Brentford:

Brentford come into this game in fairly poor form having won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five games. At the weekend, the Bees were the subject of one of the biggest FA Cup shocks in recent years as Championship club Plymouth Argyle, who are wildly out of form, ran out victorious via a 1-0 scoreline.

Before that, Brentford hammered Southampton 5-0 away from home, with the goals coming from Kevin Schade, Bryan Mbeumo (X2), Kean Lewis-Potter and Yoane Wissa, a result that followed a 1-3 loss to Arsenal, a 0-0 draw with Brighton and a 0-2 loss to Nottingham Forest.

Man City:

Manchester City’s form has improved of late, with Pep Guardiola’s side having won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five games. Last weekend, goals from Jérémy Doku (X2), Divin Mubama, Nico O’Reilly, Jack Grealish and James McAtee (X3) sealed a rampant 8-0 win over Salford City.

Prior to that, City comfortably beat West Ham 4-1, thanks to an own goal, an Erling Haaland brace and a goal from Phil Foden. That result was preceded by a 2-0 win over Leicester City, where Savinho and Haaland grabbed the goals.

Those results were preceded by a 1-1 draw at home to Everton, where an early goal from Bernardo Silva was cancelled out, and a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa.

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