Simon Bajkowski, Manchester Evening News: City need to go for goals against Brentford | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes remain alive - but there is little margin for error now, explains Manchester Evening News' chief City writer Simon Bajkowski.

City have four games left to play and may realistically need to win them all to have any chance of overtaking Mikel Arteta’s side, who are five points ahead of them. Goal difference could also become part of the equation, with Arsenal currently four goals better off having played one game more.

That makes Saturday’s meeting with Brentford a game City cannot afford to manage cautiously, with Pep Guardiola’s side needing three points and potentially also goals, with Premier League top goalscorer Erling Haaland likely to be central to their hopes against the Bees on Saturday evening (5.30pm kick-off BST), live on Sky Sports.

With four games to play, Manchester City trail Premier League leaders Arsenal by five points. How would you summarise this season, from their perspective?

I think it has been a very good year. There were a lot of question marks after last season and, at the start of this season, City looked as bad as they were last year and lost two of their first three games.

There were question marks over the summer recruitment, too. That looks to have been proven pretty decent since then and the players have gelled.

City were still in four competitions going into March, won the Carabao Cup, in the FA Cup final, and are pushing Arsenal very close in the Premier League. I would say it has been a better season than most expected, really.

In your opinion, do you think they can still pip Mikel Arteta’s side to the title?

No. Given the points and the goal difference, and the fact Arsenal have still got to play already-relegated Burnley at home, Arsenal are going to have to lose one of their last three games. Looking at it, it probably needs to be West Ham on Sunday, as they are the remaining opponent that has the most to fight for.

If West Ham do not beat Arsenal, though, I think it is Arsenal’s title. Also, City have the small matter of needing to beat Brentford and Bournemouth!

After not winning any major silverware last season, if the Carabao Cup is the only trophy City win, will the season still be seen as a success?

I think it will be seen as a success at City. They want to challenge on all four fronts for as long as possible and silverware is the biggest marker of success; but, in the same way that if Arsenal managed not to win the Premier League or the Champions League, they will still have had a phenomenal season.

So, from City’s point of view, it will still be seen as a successful season, but lots of other people are entitled to think it is not because they do have the biggest wage bill in the league and they spent quite a lot last summer, so is one Carabao Cup enough? That is one for others to decide.

Which player should Brentford be keeping an eye out for on Saturday?

Given City need to score lots of goals as well as win the game, it probably has to be Erling Haaland.

He did really well in the reverse fixture to get the winner and, if City are going to do what they want and need to do in the game, they are probably going to have to rely on him.

What should Keith Andrews’ men expect in terms of shape and style?

Largely, it has been a 4-2-3-1 formation.

It will likely be Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Marc Guéhi, Abdukodir Khusanov, Nico O’Reilly; Bernardo Silva and probably Mateo Kovačić as holding midfielders, then Antoine Semenyo on the right wing, Rayan Cherki in the no.10, and Jérémy Doku on the left wing behind Haaland.

What’s your score prediction?

I am going to say 3-1 to City - but it feels like it is just really hard to score goals against Brentford!