Haaland punishes Brentford's slip and puts Manchester City one point off the top | first division

In the 71st minute, delight for city ​​of manchester and heartbreak for Brentford. Thomas Frank's ploy of defending with 10 and hoping for a breakaway goal had disturbed the champions who seemed devoid of ideas. But then the local quality arrived in a lightning sequence that made Rúben Dias find Rodri near his area. He passed to Julián Álvarez whose ball landed on the until then ineffective Erling Haaland. But not now, because while running, Kristoffer Ajer slipped and the deadly 23-year-old beat Mark Flekken to the goalkeeper's right from inside the D field.

The game was over, despite Flekken's appearance in the City box for a corner in the 95th minute. Haaland's winning goal puts them one point behind Liverpool, setting up their trip to Anfield on the 10th. March as a seismic shock that gives the victor total control of his destiny. Get ready for that.

After a heavy downpour here for the second game in a row, the surface was greasy enough for City to ping the ball, as they love to do. The Premier League hype machine highlighted its two lost points against Chelsea on Saturday, forgetting that a draw left the ninth team undefeated in the league, with Pep Guardiola's team being the best in the country in the last three seasons when judging their path to the tape at the end of May. Now make it 10 undefeated.

Guardiola opted for a less seen 4-2-3-1 that had Bernardo Silva alongside Rodri and the two schemers joined the attack incessantly to crowd the visiting area and bother them. Like Haaland did by stomping on Sergio Reguilón, dispossessing the defender, pivoting and aiming a crosshair that Flekken picked up with ease.

The Brentford goalkeeper then dived into a corner to try and repel a Phil Foden rocket, but was blocked and Frank's team escaped.

Chelsea thrived, as many do against City, through clever counter-attacking, so seeing Frank Onyeka run down an inside left channel was no surprise. The midfielder, however, took advantage of Yoane Wissa's pass and had to be more decisive than the weak shot that Ederson had no problems capturing.

When Guardiola squats it is a sign of stress and he adopted the position after Onyeka claimed a free kick following a challenge from Dias. Reguilón touched the ball to Ivan Toney but the center forward's shot went high.

The latter is the proverbial nightmare package of strength, control, pace and guile for defenders; as John Stones discovered when he was pushed back, pushed aside, and had to watch helplessly as the ball was thrown.

Moments later, Álvarez could have taken advantage of some of Toney's guile when a corner from Silva bounced back to him in the area: instead, his aim was deflected and Guardiola offered a visible sigh. Slightly better came when Álvarez unloaded and Flekken this time needed to dive but, even so, the striker's radar was faulty.

City monopolized almost 70% of the ball, so Brentford were in siege mode. The dam almost broke when Stones lobbed a lob for Kyle Walker, whose header found Silva but he wasted the chance from close range.

Dias also missed with his forehead from even closer when Rodri spotted him at the far post, this after Manuel Akanji's 20-yard shot was knocked down by Flekken. Oscar Bobb then showed the necessary calm in traffic to drop his shoulder and shoot low and hard, and Ben Mee's goal-line clearance prompted a hug from Flekken.

All of this was frustrating for City, whose mood would have been darkened if Onyeka's header had beaten Ederson. It was not like that and City wandered down the field. Rodri found Dias, positioned deep in the box, but Flekken deflected the ball again when the defender released the ball.

On the bench Kevin De Bruyne waited to be called, but remained there throughout the match. During the second half, Guardiola took off his coat as if now was the most serious moment in the search for the three points that would put City on Liverpool's shoulder. Brentford had the same idea of ​​winning when Foden controlled poorly and they broke, Onyeka galloped down the right although his cross missed in a red and white striped shirt.

Everything Guardiola said to his players at half-time went unheeded, as Brentford were able to make the contest difficult, disrupting City's usual rhythms.

More than once he yelled at his charges or paced or complained to his bench. fifteen days ago a Foden's hat-trick defeated Brentford 3-1 on the reverse device. The city had descended into as chaotic as possible. The low point came when Silva took a sideways and direct free kick.

Guardiola removed Bobb for Jérémy Doku in the hope that the Belgian's searing speed would be the X factor in breaking the deadlock. His first act was a chip for Haaland, but the Norwegian's arm hit Mee, Darren England exploded and City were blocked once again.

Haaland's 17th goal in the league this season transformed his and City's night into joy. In the red half of Merseyside, the emotion is the opposite.