Brentford welcome reigning Premier League champions Manchester City to their slice of Hounslow on Monday night.
The Bees are embroiled in a desperately difficult run of fixtures. A spirited 3-2 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night was the first of six games against five of the division's current top six in little more than a month, including two meetings with City in as many weeks.
Thomas Frank's side limp into this ominous stretch in wretched form. Brentford's only respite in a sequence of six losses from seven league games was a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest inspired by Ivan Toney's long-awaited return.
City, by comparison, are cranking into the relentless fifth gear that has taken them to the last three league titles. Since a shock 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in mid-December, City have won their subsequent eight matches across all competitions.
Here's everything you need to know about Monday's intriguing matchup.
What time does Brentford vs Man City kick-off?
- Location: Brentford, England
- Stadium: Gtech Community Stadium
- Date: Monday 5 February
- Kick-off Time: 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT
- Referee: Jarred Gillett
- VAR: Paul Tierney
Brentford vs Man City H2H Record (Last Five Games)
- Brentford: 2 wins
- Man City: 3 wins
- Draws: 0
- Last meeting: Brentford 1-0 Man City (28 May 2023) - Premier League
Current Form (all competitions)
- Brentford: LDLWL
- Man City: WWWWW
How to watch Brentford vs Man City on TV and live stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League |
United States | UNIVERSO NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, nbcsports.com, USA Network, NBC Sports App, UNIVERSO |
Canada | fuboTV Canada |
Brentford team news
Brentford are still without their top two scorers of the season. While Bryan Mbeumo is not expected back from an ankle injury until March, Yoane Wissa scored in DR Congo's quarter-final victory over Guinea to reach the final four of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Frank Onyeka's Nigeria also made it to the semi-finals and Saman Ghoddos is away with Iran at the Asian Cup.
Aaron Hickey and Kevin Schade haven't quite recovered in time for Monday's contest, joining long-term absentee Rico Henry on the sidelines. However, Tottenham loanee Sergio Reguilon will be available after sitting out the midweek meeting with his parent club.
Brentford predicted lineup vs Man City
Brentford predicted lineup vs Man City (3-5-2): Flekken; Collins, Pinnock, Mee; Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Janelt, Reguilon; Maupay, Toney.
Man City team news
"Everybody is ready because they are not injured," Guardiola declared ahead of the trip to Brentford.
After making a lively cameo off the bench against Burnley in midweek, Erling Haaland could be handed his first start since the beginning of December in his continued recovery from a foot fracture.
John Stones will be part of the squad but Guardiola warned that "he's not the John Stones from last season" just yet, with various injuries taking their toll on the Barnsley Beckenbauer.
Man City predicted lineup vs Brentford
Man City predicted lineup vs Brentford (4-2-3-1): Ederson; Walker, Dias, Ake, Gvardiol; Rodri, Kovacic; Bernardo, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland.
Brentford vs Man City score prediction
Brentford were the only team to defeat Guardiola's treble winners home and away last term. Yet, despite their recent success in this fixture, Frank was adamant that any game against City must be considered "the biggest challenge in the world".
Going to Brentford is not particularly straightforward. After escaping with a narrow 1-0 win in November, Arsenal manager (and former City assistant) Mikel Arteta insisted: "You can't have a fluent game here," praising the hosts' unrivalled capacity to disrupt.
Nevertheless, boasting a fully fit squad and ample preparation time, City should banish the memories of last season's losses with a win on Monday.
