Manchester City will take on Brentford in the Premier League at the weekend, and they will look to bounce back strongly after the disappointing draw against Everton.

With the title on the line, they cannot afford to draw points here. Arsenal are already well ahead in the league table, and a defeat or draw here could be devastating for Manchester City. They have picked up five wins from the last six matches against Brentford, and they will be the favourites to win here.

On the other hand, the await team has been difficult to beat in recent weeks. They are unbeaten in five of the last six matches in the Premier League. It remains to be seen whether they can pull off an upset. They are currently seventh in the league table and will be chasing European qualification next season. A positive result here would be a huge boost for them.

Team News & Tactics

Manchester City

Ruben Dias (muscular) and Josko Gvardiol (calf) are ruled out for the away side. Rodri is a doubt with a groin problem. Manchester City will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.

Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly will start as the two full-backs. They will keep things tight at the back and help out in the final third. Meanwhile, Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi will start in central defence.

Tijjani Reijnders will start in the defensive midfield role, looking to control the tempo and provide defensive cover, with Bernardo Silva adding drive and creativity alongside him. Rayan Cherki will add creativity from the attacking midfield role.

Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo will add flair and goals from the flanks, with Erling Haaland leading the line for Manchester City.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Silva, Reijnders; Doku, Cherki, Semenyo; Haaland

Brentford

Fabio Carvalho is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, while Antoni Milambo and Rico Henry are also ruled out. Brentford will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Caoimhin Kelleher in goal.

Michael Kayode and Keane Lewis-Potter will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Manchester City on the counter. Nathan Collins will start in central defence alongside Sepp van den Berg.

As for the midfield unit, Jordan Henderson and Yehor Yarmolyuk will look to protect the back four and win the ball back for their side. Mikkel Damsgaard will start as the central attacking midfielder and help create opportunities in the final third.

Dango Ouattara and Kevin Schade will start on the flanks. They will look to open up the opposition defence with their pace, flair, and movement.

Igor Thiago will spearhead the Brentford attack here.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kelleher; Kayode, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Yarmolyuk, Henderson; Ouattara, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago

Key Stats

• Erling Haaland has scored in 3 of his last 3 appearances (English Premier League)
• Brentford have drawn 5 of their last 7 matches (English Premier League)
• Manchester City have not lost in their last 6 matches against Brentford.
• Manchester City have not lost in their last 6 matches in the Premier League.

Player to watch out for

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian International is the top scorer in the Premier League, and he is our key player to watch out for. He will look to find the back of the net and continue his impressive goal-scoring form. Manchester City will depend on him to grind out all three points here.

This has been a mixed campaign for Manchester City, and the Norwegian has stepped up time and again to help them get over the line. He will need to produce another defining performance in the final third.

Prediction

Manchester City 3-1 Brentford

Manchester City are a better team on paper, and they are full of motivation right now. They simply cannot afford to drop points here, and they will be desperate to get the job done. They have an excellent record against Brentford in recent meetings and have already beaten the Bees twice this season. They are likely to navigate their way through this game and come away with a win. Brentford will put up a fight, but they are likely to crash to defeat.