Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City moved up to second on the Premier League table after a prolific Phil Foden hat-trick gave them a 3-1 win against Brentford on Monday, February 5.
The race for the Premier League 2023-24 title is getting increasingly intense as City closed their gap with table toppers Liverpool to two points with a game in hand. Despite getting the lead at the 21′ mark by a Neal Maupay goal, Brentford saw a composed City side make an incredible comeback and bag the crucial three-points.
With Arsenal’s victory against Liverpool on Sunday, February 4, by a 3-1 scoreline, the pressure shifted to Guardiola’s City to secure the number 2 spot in the league table.
Brentford’s Dutch goalkeeper, Mark Flerren, gave one of his very best performances on Sunday, stopping a record nine shots in the first half. However, a lethal City attack consisting of Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, Foden, along with some pushes by full-back Kyle Walker, proved to be too much for Thomas Frank’s side.
Manchester City have now stretched their unbeaten run in the Premier League to six games, something that Guardiola is giving very little importance at the moment.
“I’m just trying to recover the people and prepare for Everton. I never think about the run, just about winning the next game,” Guardiola said about City’s unbeaten streak.
INCREDIBLE FODEN: GUARDIOLA
In a conversation with BBC, Guardiola acknowledged Flekker’s heroics throughout the game and not letting the City attack convert their initial chances.
“We had a lot of chances. The keeper was sensational. They are so dangerous from set plays, they are an incredible team in that concept. They press really high. The spaces in the pockets in these types of games are really important,” Guardiola told BBC.
The Spaniard was all praise for his 23-year-old hattrick hero, Foden, dubbing the player ‘incredible’ for his part in the City side at such a young age.
“He always had an eye for a goal. He’s got 250 games already and he’s had an impact with goals this season. He’s incredible. His numbers are really good,” Guardiola added.
Guardiola and his side will next play against a relegation zone-placed Everton on Saturday, February 10, hoping to catch up with Liverpool with a win.
