Nick Bruzon shares his Brentford player ratings after the Bees went down 3-1 against Manchester City at the Gtech on Monday evening.
Another wonderful evening under the lights ended in disappointment for The Bees as Manchester City did what they do to so many teams. Despite Neal Maupay’s 20th-minute strike to give Brentford the lead, there was to be no third defeat of Pep Guardiola’s team.
Instead, a hat-trick from Phil Foden was sufficient to wrap up a 3-1 win that now sees the League Champions two points off the top with a game in hand. A game that takes place in a fortnight with our own visit to The Ethiad.
That’s to come but for now, a chance to reflect on the game just played out. A terrifyingly strong-looking City team, with Erling Haaland restored to the starting line-up, went for the jugular from the off. For the Bees, Sergio Reguilón for KLP was the only change – albeit fully anticipated given Thomas was able to call on an official defender in that most troublesome of positions for the first time in months.
Yet Brentford, and in particular Mark Flekken, held strong. Wave after wave of attacks held off, saved and cleared until that moment of jubilation. A long clearance from the ‘keeper fell perfectly for Maupay who beat the back line with the timing of his run. Clean through on goal, he made no mistake. Shooting low and hard past Ederson into the bottom corner for the opening goal.
Against the run of play? Who cares? The only statistic that counts is balls in the back of the net as Maupay’s celebration sent the crowd wild. With Flekken pulling out all the stops at the other end, dreams of another famous victory started to tease us until moments before the interval. Then, Foden did his thing.
Well, the first of his things as a weak clearance out of the normally strong defence fell straight to the England man and he made no mistake. 1-1 and half-time called just seconds after the restart.
1-1 became 2-1 to the visitors with the second period barely ten minutes old. Foden given the freedom of the penalty box to pick his spot and head Kevin De Bruyne’s cross past Flekken. The marking was non-existent and whilst we’ve seen them missed before, this time there was no let off.
Ball found net and although there was still the thought that we could salvage something, in truth City were just too good. Too dominant on the ball and back to their brutal best. The Champions of Europe showing why there’s no better side in World football. Showing the genius of players able to move themselves and the ball around with impunity.
Foden’s hat-trick goal on seventy was game set and match. Waltzing though the middle and onto Haaland’s perfectly weighted tee-up. Clean through, there was no mistake. No chance for the Bees and the rest of the game played out trying to get hold of the ball as City put the brakes on. Locked things out and made sure there was no mistake made to give Brentford any hope of last-gasp heroics.
The only moment of note being the flare-up between Neal Maupay and Kyle Walker, allegedly caused by the City player being asked why he was finding it so hard to score away from home. Certainly, if you believe what you read on the internet from sources very close to the club.
Who knows what the catalyst was. Regardless, it doesn’t change the outcome of the game. A plucky performance ultimately undone by a City team very much back to their best and now going full tilt to defend their title. The return fixture is going to be interesting, that’s for sure.
For now though, let’s jump to our star player award and the ongoing quest to find Brentford’s overall player of the season. As ever, there are five points awarded for star player, four for second place, three for third etc with the totals added up game by game.
2023-24 Brentford Player Ratings from Matchweek 22 (vs Manchester City)
1st (Star player: 5 points) – Mark Flekken
My word. What a performance from the Brentford goalkeeper. To be quite honest, City should have been out of sight in that first half but save after save after save kept us alive.
Flinging himself to his left and right. More dives than Tom Daley, Sergi Canos and Jacques Cousteau rolled into one as he thwarted Alvarez, De Bruyne, Walker and one huge stop from Haaland until he was eventually beaten.
There was nothing Mark could have done for any of Foden’s goals but the reaction of the crowd, chanting his name throughout that opening period, says everything about how much he was appreciated. How much there was to enjoy about the level of his play.
For bonus points, he even got he ‘assist’ as his long ball over the top set in motion a chain of events that had us in dreamland. For a while…
Well played, Mark.
2nd (4 points) – Sergio Reguilón
Could Sergio be this season’s Christian Eriksen? A loan signing of international repute for whom Brentford provide a mutually beneficial home for six months?
Whatever the reason for his being out of favour at Spurs, he hit the ground running on his first start for the Bees. Whilst there is nothing but praise for the way Saman, Vitaly and KLP have filled in over the injury crisis, having an ‘actual’ defender in that slot was a huge boost.
Moreso given how he played. How confident when trying to turn defence into attack. How assured in the tackle or when facing up to the City hordes rampaging. The quality he will bring to the team was there for all to see whilst, statistically, no Bees’ outfield player made more passes or more tackles.
In short, a wonderful start to his life at the Gtech following that brief cameo against Forest.
3rd (3 points) – Neal Maupay
That’s now five goals in five games for Neal. Long may this continue. There wasn’t a shred of doubt or moment of hesitation as he ran in to give us the lead. That’s how much he is loving life back in Brentford. That’s how confident he is.
Yet, as ever with Neal, it’s not just the goals. It’s that never-ending tenacity. That will to win and getting stuck in. As comfortable trying to create for Ivan or breaking off the ball to make the space. Ferocious like a terrier and doing everything possible to both gee up his own team as well as wind up the opposition.
Did he say it to Walker? Knowing Neal, quite possibly. It’s why we love him.
4th (2 points) – Ben Mee
I thought Ben was the best of our three centre-backs. He looked assured and on top of his game as anything that came near him was dealt with as thought it was being played through by the Renford Rejects rather than the World Club Champions.
Sure, Brentford shipped three goals but I don’t recall Ben being at fault for any of these. One man can’t hold back the tide on his own although he gave it his best shot.
5th (one point) – Christian Norgaard
It was close between him and Vitaly but, in the end, Christian gets my vote by a short head.
Another of those games where he dominated the middle of the field, helped hold back the opposition but wasn’t afraid to chance his arm higher up the field either. Might even have levelled things up at 2-2 as the ball fell kindly before his goalbound effort was diverted wide by the desperate dive of Rúben Dias.
Close but no cigar. All of which means that whilst Ethan Pinnock still leads our top five, Captain Christian is closing in and Neal Maupay storms up the blind side to enter the race.
1st – Ethan Pinnock 37 points
2nd – Christian Norgaard 35 points
3rd – Bryan Mbeumo 31 points
4th – Mathias Jensen 27 points
=5th – Nathan Collins 18 points
=5th – Neal Maupay 18 points
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