Manchester City’s Title Hopes Fade as Brentford Fight Back

Manchester City’s hopes for a fifth consecutive Premier League title took another hit as they squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Brentford. Late goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard earned the Bees a dramatic point at the Gtech Community Stadium. Phil Foden put City ahead in the 66th minute, volleying home Kevin de Bruyne’s pinpoint cross. Brentford nearly equalized shortly after but Nathan Ake cleared Wissa’s shot off the line.

Foden struck again in the 78th minute, reacting quickly to a rebound from Mark Flekken’s save on Savinho. However, Brentford mounted a late comeback with Wissa scoring from close range in the 84th minute to surpass Ivan Toney as the club’s top Premier League scorer. Norgaard’s powerful header in the 92nd minute sealed the thrilling draw. Brentford almost clinched victory in stoppage time but Ake denied Bryan Mbeumo’s curling effort on the goal line.

City boss Pep Guardiola expressed frustration, citing missed opportunities and poor decisions. City remain sixth, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool while Brentford climbed to 10th. Before kickoff, City honored club legend Tony Book, who passed away at 90 with a minute’s applause. Guardiola described Book as an “exceptional person” whose legacy underpins the club’s foundation. Despite the setback, City showed moments of promise.

Savinho hit the post early in the second half, and Erling Haaland and James McAtee came close to scoring. Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, deputizing for Ederson made key saves to keep City in the game. Brentford manager Thomas Frank praised his team’s resilience, stating the draw was well-deserved against one of the world’s top sides. Brentford next host Liverpool while Manchester  City aim to bounce back against struggling Ipswich Town.