Manchester City will be confident of extending their lead at the summit of the Premier League table when Brentford visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night.
Pep Guardiola’s men currently sit nine points clear of second-place Liverpool, having lost just two of their 23 league matches this season.
Adding no.4️⃣ #ManCity pic.twitter.com/emkAGBxmsV— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 6, 2022
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At the opposite end of the standings, Brentford find themselves fourteenth – eight points clear of the relegation zone and 34 points behind Man City.
The Cityzens head into Wednesday’s clash on a 13-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League, having last tasted defeat all the way back in October.
They enjoyed a remarkable 12-game winning streak between November and January before being held to a 1-1 draw by Southampton before the winter break.
Not only do Guardiola’s men boast the best defensive record in the division, but they also have the second-best offensive record this term.
Better still, Man City have won each of their last nine home games in all competitions and have lost just five of their previous 43 at the Etihad.
By contrast, Brentford head to Manchester on a five-match losing streak across all competitions – losing each of their last four league outings.
They have also lost six of their previous seven Premier League games, picking up just a single win during that period.
It's safe to say that Thomas Frank’s side have struggle on their travels of late. Indeed, they have only managed to win one of their past nine away games in all competitions.
It is also worth noting that Brentford have lost each of their last three away games while conceding at least three goals.
On Saturday, the Bees were thrashed 4-1 by Everton in the FA Cup – with Ivan Toney scoring a consolation penalty.
Head-to-head: Man City and Brentford have only face each other once since 1997, with Guardiola’s side winning the reverse fixture 1-0 back in December.
When you look at the bigger picture, Man City have won each of their past three matches against Brentford – scoring six goals while conceding just once.
Team news: Man City have no fresh injury concerns ahead of Wednesday’s clash. In fact, Gabriel Jesus is the club’s only doubt.
As for Brentford, Mathias Jorgensen, Tarique Fosu and Julian Jeanvier are all currently sidelined through injury. Christian Eriksen could make his debut if fit.
Given the 34-point gulf between these two sides, Man City shouldn’t struggle to overcome Brentford on home soil.
Forebet predicts that Man City will score at least two goals on their way to victory, keeping a clean sheet in the process.