Erling Haaland continued his remarkable form as Manchester City defeated Brentford 1-0 in an intense Premier League clash on Sunday. The Norwegian striker found the back of the net early in the first half at the Gtech Community Stadium, sealing City’s third win in their last four league matches.
The 25-year-old goal machine now has an incredible 12 goals in nine matches across all competitions this season, along with six more for Norway in international fixtures. With only Tottenham managing to keep him from scoring so far, Haaland remains the most lethal striker in world football.
Despite a second-half slump, Pep Guardiola’s side managed to hold firm and climb to fifth place in the Premier League standings. Speaking after the match, Guardiola praised Haaland’s impact, saying, “He has been crucial for us this season. We still need more players to score, but the opportunities are coming.”
The victory marked Guardiola’s 250th Premier League win as City manager, achieved in just 349 games — faster than Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger, who both took over 400 matches to reach the same milestone. “It’s an honour to be alongside legends like Ferguson and Wenger. I’ll invite them to dinner soon,” Guardiola joked.
The win, however, came with a concern as Rodri limped off in the 22nd minute with what appeared to be a hamstring injury. The Spanish midfielder has faced fitness struggles since returning from anterior cruciate ligament surgery earlier this year. Guardiola commented, “Hopefully, it’s not serious.”
City had previously drawn 2-2 with Monaco in the Champions League, where late defensive lapses cost them the win. Determined to bounce back, the champions controlled much of the first half against Brentford, with Josko Gvardiol setting up the decisive goal. His long pass found Haaland, who sprinted past defenders Sepp van den Berg and Nathan Collins before smashing the ball past goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Haaland’s strike was particularly significant as it was his first Premier League goal at Brentford’s home ground — one of only two stadiums in England where he hadn’t previously scored. The Norwegian has now netted 21 goals in 22 appearances in London, an astonishing record that underscores his dominance in English football.
Brentford attempted a comeback in the second half, with Igor Thiago and Michael Kayode both coming close to equalizing, but Gianluigi Donnarumma’s quick reflexes and solid defending ensured City held on for the win.
Manchester City now go into the international break just three points behind league leaders Arsenal, with momentum firmly back on their side as Haaland continues his record-breaking streak.
