Brentford got a thrilling 2-2 draw against Manchester City, with Christian Nørgaard’s late equalizer capping off a comeback in Tuesday’s English Premiership match. A Phil Foden brace put City ahead in the second half before Yoane Wissa pulled one back with eight minutes to go.
Thomas Frank made one change from Brentford’s last league game – a 5-0 win away at Southampton on 4 January – with Vitaly Janelt replacing Kevin Schade in the starting XI.
Lineups
Brentford: Flekken; Roerslev, Van den Berg, Collins, Lewis-Potter; Nørgaard, Jensen, Janelt, Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa.
Manchester City: Ortega; Nunes, Akanji, Aké, Gvardiol; Kovačić; Foden, De Bruyne, Silva, Savinho; Haaland.
How the Match Unfolded
Wissa had the game’s first shot after five minutes in West London. The forward was given the ball by Mathias Jensen wide on the right side of the penalty area, and after he cut into the box, he fired an effort back across himself and towards the near post, but it went just wide of Ortega’s goal. Mbeumo almost recreated his goal at the Gtech against Arsenal, but Ortega got a hand on it to turn it past the post.
The game began to have cliché basketball-style feet, with both teams having chances at either end in quick succession. The best came when Matheus Nunes found himself in acres of space, charging towards Flekken’s goal. Nathan Collins slid across to try and block the shot before Nunes chopped back inside, and then Jensen did incredibly well to get back and rob the Portuguese international as he was about to finish from close range.
The action from our 2-2 draw at Brentford 📺 pic.twitter.com/3S2jiww11J
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 15, 2025
Phil Foden eventually broke the deadlock, side-footing into the bottom corner. Manchester City doubled their lead through Foden again, but Brentford pulled one back through Wissa. Nørgaard then equalized with a late header, securing a dramatic 2-2 draw.
Post-Match Analysis
The draw marked an impressive comeback for Brentford, who showed great character by scoring two late goals. City had chances to extend their lead, but they ultimately paid the price for their missed opportunities.
What the Coaches Said
Thomas Frank praised his side’s performance and mentality, saying it was the first time they had gone “toe to toe” against a top-three team. Frank said, “What a game! What an advert for the Premier League! Wow – an absolutely crazy game.” “Our performance was fantastic. I loved how brave we were in phase one, I loved the way we pressed high and were aggressive, I loved the mentality when we were 2-0 down to stay in the game and still believe we could get something from the game.”
Player of the Match
Christian Nørgaard was the standout player, scoring the late equalizer and showing outstanding leadership throughout the match. Nørgaard said, “That was just a usual day at the office! At home, we’ve produced some fantastic games this season, and today was another one.” “I’m really, really proud of how we hung in there, kept going and got a well-deserved point.“
What Next
Brentford will visit Newcastle in their next match on Saturday, while Manchester City will prepare for their upcoming fixture with renewed determination.
EPL Top Six Table
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