Erling Haaland once again proved unstoppable as his brilliant first-half strike secured Manchester City a hard-fought victory over Brentford, giving Pep Guardiola his 250th Premier League win, the fastest any manager has ever reached the milestone.
Guardiola achieved the record in just 349 matches, surpassing previous holders by a remarkable 55 games. The historic night was fittingly sealed by Haaland, who muscled past Sepp van den Berg to meet Josko Gvardiol’s lofted cross before slotting calmly past Caoimhin Kelleher. The Norwegian finished his third goal in a week and his 18th in 11 appearances this season, showcased his ruthless form for both club and country.
Manchester City were forced to defend their narrow lead for more than 80 minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium. Despite Brentford’s late surge and the growing tension, City held firm to secure a vital win ahead of the international break.
However, there was a worrying moment for City fans when midfielder Rodri limped off after just 21 minutes. The Spaniard, who suffered a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury last season, has struggled to regain his Ballon d’Or-winning form and could face another spell on the sidelines.
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Brentford, who came into the match unbeaten at home and fresh from a surprise victory over Manchester United, looked far from their usual sharp selves. Under new manager Keith Andrews, the Bees deployed a five-man defense that limited attacking opportunities. Astonishingly, it was the first time in their 159 Premier League matches that they failed to record a single touch inside the opponent’s penalty area in the first half.
The tempo picked up after the break, but Brentford still found it difficult to threaten City’s goal. Michael Kayode headed over from close range, while Igor Thiago; the club’s top scorer this season, missed a golden chance to equalize when Gianluigi Donnarumma denied him in a one-on-one situation.
The 1–0 victory lifts Manchester City to fifth place in the standings, closing the gap on leaders Arsenal and taking advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up the previous day. Despite the win, Guardiola will be concerned about his team’s inability to kill off games, having narrowly avoided late collapses against Brighton, Arsenal, and Monaco earlier in the week.
Still, the night belonged to Haaland and Guardiola, one writing his own legend with goals, the other cementing his status as one of the Premier League’s greatest ever managers.
Keywords: Guardiola’s 250th Premier League win
Synonyms: Erling Haaland goal, Pep Guardiola 250 wins, Manchester City vs Brentford, Premier League highlights, Man City latest news, Rodri injury update, Brentford defeat, EPL results.
