Haaland strike secures narrow City win at Brentford | OneFootball

Manchester City secured a hard-fought 1-0 win at Brentford thanks to another early strike from Erling Haaland.

The game barely got going before the Norwegian striker made his mark. In the 9th minute, Haaland muscled past Sepp van den Berg to meet Josko Gvardiol’s perfectly timed cross, wriggled away from defenders, and hammered a precise finish past Caoimhin Kelleher.

It was Haaland’s ninth goal in seven league matches and his 12th in all competitions this season, further underlining his electric start to 2025/26.

The Bees tried to respond, but City’s defence stood firm. The hosts managed just six shots, with only one on target, and struggled to carve out clear openings against a controlled City side.

Phil Foden and Tijjani Reijnders had efforts saved, while Oscar Bobb repeatedly created promising opportunities, but nothing troubled Kelleher beyond Haaland’s early breakthrough.

The contest also brought another concern for City as midfielder Rodri limped off after just 21 minutes with a minor injury, recalling his long recovery from last season’s ACL setback.

The victory lifts City up to fifth in the Premier League ahead of the international break and continues their early-season push at the top.

For Pep Guardiola, it also marked his 250th Premier League win, a milestone he achieved faster than almost anyone in history, reaching it in just 349 games with a single club.

Incidents: The story of the match

1':

The match begins

Manchester City takes the lead against Brentford, making it 1-0. Erling Haaland scores with a left-footed shot from the center of the box, placing it perfectly into the left corner of the net. The assist comes from Josko Gvardiol.

9':

GOAL Manchester City: Erling Haaland (Manchester City) scores!

Erling Haaland scores goal number 9 in the competition (7 matches) Erling Haaland scores goal number 137 for his team (156 matches)

15':

Missed opportunity! Tijjani Reijnders from Manchester City took a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but it sailed over the bar. The assist came from Nico O'Reilly.

31':

Missed opportunity. Phil Foden from Manchester City attempted a right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area.

90 +1':

Missed opportunity! Aaron Hickey from Brentford takes a right-footed shot from outside the penalty area, but it sails over the goal. The assist came from Kevin Schade.

998':

The referee whistles for the end of the match