MANCHESTER (Sporting Alert) —— Ivan Toney scored twice in the same week he was left out of England’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 squad as Brentford stunned Manchester City 2-1 late in the Premier League on Saturday (12).
Manchester City head coach Pep Guardiola was graceful in defeat, he told Sky Sports: “The best team won, we struggled from the beginning and we couldn’t deal with their long balls. Usually, you press the balls to win it but this was different. They defended so deep and so well.
Toney opened the scoring for Brentford when he put his England World Cup snub behind him after just 16 minutes –heading home the game’s opener to give the visitors a well-deserved lead.
The visitors didn’t do a lot wrong in that half, but Manchester City found a way to grab an equalizer through a rocket from Phil Foden, who fired a superb half-volley into the top left corner of the goal from Kevin De Bruyne’s corner just before halftime.
With Manchester City pushing for the winner late into time added on, Toney and Brentford punished them again when the forward finished off a wonderful run from Yoane Wissa who pass to Josh Dasilva to square a perfect ball across the box. All Ivan Toney needed to do was to tap in the winner and that he did from close range.
Toney could have had a hat-trick moments later – but his shot is cleared off the line by Aymeric Laporte.
Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said: “One of the most satisfying wins we’ve had, I think the play-off final will always be the one, getting us to the promised land. But, of course, it is up there.
Erling Haaland did not have a shot on target in 90 minutes today, as Brentford snapped Manchester City’s 16-game winning streak at home with their first road win this season.
Manchester City defeat today means Arsenal will be top of the Premier League standings heading into the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and the mid-season Christmas break.
