Pep Guardiola backed Rico Lewis to play a starring position in Manchester Metropolis’s quest for a fifth Premier League title after a powerful begin to the brand new season.
Lewis, who has began each sport for Guardiola this time period, impressed in Metropolis’s 3-1 win over West Ham forward of the worldwide break, whereas he additionally performed the period of England’s win over Finland.
The 19-year-old has stuffed in for the absent Kyle Walker to this point, and Guardiola is assured that his current type will assist the Residents transferring ahead because the Champions League group part kicks in.
“Absolute, completely [he’s playing well]. Have you ever seen the minutes he performed within the pocket? I stated many occasions, Rico has one unimaginable skill that for a few years, it was tough to search out,” Guardiola stated.
“At all times he’s free, all the time he’s alone. When his mate has the ball, I don’t know what he does, however he’s free.
“You may go the ball to him, and never simply in positions the place it’s comfy, however in positions the place the house is so tight, arriving within the third remaining.
“All of us the gamers prepared, as a result of the schedule that comes any more till the tip of the season will likely be tough.
“That’s what I stated. Pre-season is over right now. It’s over formally. The true season begins after the worldwide break.”
Again quickly pic.twitter.com/yyuhcP7rMX
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) September 7, 2024
However standing of their approach are a Brentford facet brimming with confidence after comfortably dispatching Southampton 3-1 earlier than the worldwide break to register their greatest begin to a Premier League season.
The Bees additionally arrive on the Etihad because the final group to beat Guardiola’s males on house soil, with head coach Thomas Frank believing his gamers ought to take that confidence into their encounter with the reigning champions.
“The sensation after a win is all the time unbelievable,” stated Frank. “It’s a mix of aid and happiness.
“We carried out nicely and performed a great sport. We clearly deserved to win. We have to have fun our wins for twenty-four hours as a result of within the Premier League, it’s so tough to win.”
“Our excessive press right now was completely world-class. We had been so aggressive, so nicely organised and the gamers had been so dedicated.”
Tremendous Thomas Frank pic.twitter.com/oDpyDBicCD
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) September 11, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Man Metropolis – Erling Haaland
Haaland has seven targets within the Premier League this season, probably the most ever by a participant in a group’s first three matches of a marketing campaign within the competitors.
The file in a group’s first 4 matches in a Premier League season is eight targets by Wayne Rooney for Manchester United in 2011-12.
Brentford – Yoane Wissa
Wissa has began the season in advantageous type, netting in two of Brentford’s three Premier League video games to this point this marketing campaign, however he has discovered it tough in opposition to the Residents within the 5 matches he has performed in opposition to them.
Of the groups Wissa has confronted within the prime flight, Metropolis are certainly one of six sides alongside Man United, Brighton, Sheffield United, Watford and Norwich he has failed to attain in opposition to.
MATCH PREDICTION: MAN CITY WIN
Manchester Metropolis have gained 4 of their six Premier League video games in opposition to Brentford (L2), doing the double over them in each 2021-22 and 2023-24.
They’ve additionally gained all three of their Premier League video games this season. They’ve gained every of their opening 4 matches of an English top-flight marketing campaign on eight earlier events (1903-04, 1912-13, 1961-62, 2009-10, 2011-12, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2023-24), which is already probably the most of any membership.
The hosts have gained every of their final 12 Premier League video games, all by a margin of two+ targets. Certainly, underneath Guardiola alone, the Residents are chargeable for six of the 16 runs of 12+ consecutive wins by any membership in English top-flight historical past (38%).
Nevertheless, Brentford stay the final facet to win away to Metropolis in any competitors, triumphing 2-1 in November 2022. The Residents are unbeaten in 45 on the Etihad in all competitions since (W38 D7).
The Bees have gained two of their three Premier League video games this season (L1), their greatest begin to a marketing campaign within the competitors. Within the top-flight, solely in 1946-47 have they ever gained three of their opening 4 matches – however that was the one season they had been relegated from this degree.
However because the begin of final season, Brentford have misplaced extra Premier League away video games (13) than any facet at present within the competitors. The Bees have additionally misplaced every of their final 5 away league video games in opposition to sides that completed the earlier season within the prime 4.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Man Metropolis – 82.3%
Draw –11%
Brentford – 6.7%