Manchester City defeated Brentford 3-0 on Saturday, May 9. City kept their Premier League title hopes alive at the Etihad Stadium. Second-half goals from Jérémy Doku, Erling Haaland, and Omar Marmoush secured the win for Pep Guardiola’s side.
This victory moves them within two points of league leaders Arsenal. They have 74 points on the table, putting immense pressure on the Gunners ahead of their match against West Ham.
Manchester City Close Gap on Arsenal
Manchester City entered this match knowing they had to win to stay in the title race. They had previously drawn 3-3 with Everton on Monday, which gave Arsenal the advantage in the league table. Consequently, Guardiola’s team played with urgency from the start to avoid another slip-up.
Meanwhile, Brentford arrived at the Etihad Stadium as a team chasing a spot in European football. The Bees sat in eighth place and had recently beaten West Ham 3-0. However, they struggled to keep possession against a dominant City side that controlled 59.1% of the ball during the match.
In a post match conference, Guardiola praised Doku’s performance as outstanding. The coach also noted his incredible ability to win games through his dribbling.
Doku Breaks Stubborn Brentford Resistance
The first half ended 0-0 as Brentford’s defense stood strong. Manchester City took 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes but could not find a way past goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher. Erling Haaland saw his shot blocked by Kristoffer Ajer, while Doku forced an early low save from the Brentford keeper.
Furthermore, there was a moment of controversy in the first half involving Bernardo Silva. The City captain received a yellow card after he lashed out at Brentford’s Nathan Collins. Additionally, VAR reviewed two possible fouls by Matheus Nunes on Kevin Schade, but the officials cleared both incidents.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 60th minute through Jérémy Doku. The Belgian winger cut inside from the left and curled a sublime shot into the far corner of the net. Notably, Doku has now scored in three successive appearances for Manchester City.
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Haaland and Marmoush Finish the Job
Brentford almost equalized with a shot from Igor Thiago, but City’s keeper stopped the header. Guardiola’s side doubled their lead in the 75th minute when Erling Haaland scored it home. Haaland’s 26th goal in just 34 appearances of the season in the Premier League puts him further clear in the race for Golden Boot.
Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush later came as substitutes in the 60th minute. Foden almost scored a third, but Kelleher saved to deny him at the near post. In the second minute of stoppage time, City added a final goal. Haaland passed to Omar Marmoush and the substitute shot into the bottom left corner to make it 3-0. This late strike means City’s goal difference is now +40, just one goal behind Arsenal’s +41.
EPL Standings After Matchweek 36
This victory keeps the Premier League title race incredibly tight as the season nears its end. Manchester City have now extended their unbeaten run at home in the league to 16 games. They face Crystal Palace and Bournemouth in their remaining games of this season.
Premier League Table (As of 10 May 2026):
| Position | Team | Played | Goal Difference | Points |
| 1 | Arsenal | 35 | 41 | 76 |
| 2 | Man City | 35 | 40 | 74 |
| 3 | Man United | 36 | 15 | 65 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 36 | 12 | 59 |
| 5 | Aston Villa | 35 | 4 | 58 |
Arsenal, on the other hand, are two points ahead. If they can beat West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace in their remaining three matches they will be crowned champions whatever City do. But Guardiola remained hopeful and even joked after the game he would be supporting West Ham on Sunday – shouting “Come on you Irons!” at the end of his press conference.
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