Manchester City 2-0 Brentford: 5 things you may have missed from the game

Goals from Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne ensured Manchester City beat Brentford 2-0 at the Etihad on Wednesday.

The champions weren’t at their brilliant best during the game, but they didn’t necessarily need to be against an indifferent Brentford side.

Even both goals came from defensive errors, with Mads Roerslev fouling Sterling in the box for the opener, while De Bruyne’s goal came second after a misplaced pass from Bees goalkeeper David Raya.

While it wasn’t a game packed full of action, we’ve picked out five talking points which may have passed you by.

How City lined up

When the team sheets were announced, it was assumed Aymeric Laporte would play at left-back, with Joao Cancelo on the opposite flank and John Stones lining up at the heart of defence alongside Ruben Dias.

However, when the game began it was Cancelo who played on the left, with Stones operating at right-back and Laporte in the middle.

For Stones, he performed well throughout the game and rarely was caught out of position. That was helped by Cancelo pushing higher up the left, while Stones came inside and regularly formed a three-man central defence.

The line-up also meant Kyle Walker was an unused substitute, while Jack Grealish and Ilkay Gundogan dropped to the bench and came on in the second period.

Mahrez’s recent record

It was Riyad Mahrez who broke the deadlock on 40 minutes when he smashed the ball in from the spot, and continued his excellent recent record in front of goal.

That’s now eight goals from the former Leicester City man in his last seven appearances in all competitions for City, and he’s found the back of the net in all of the last five league games.

Only one City player has previously scored in five consecutive Premier League games for the club, something only one player has previously done before: Sergio Aguero.

That means a goal for Mahrez away at Norwich City this weekend will see him set a new league record for the Sky Blues.

A Sterling record

Speaking of Premier League records, Raheem Sterling managed to set a new one on Wednesday night when he was fouled in the box not long before half-time.

That was the 23rd spot-kick he’s been awarded in the division, which is more than any other player. It’s a pretty remarkable record for the attacker given he’s 27 and could continue playing in the league for the next seven or eight years.

Sterling also played a huge role in De Bruyne’s goal, when he intercepted Raya’s pass and shot at goal. However, the effort was saved by the Brentford keeper, and rolled into the path of the onrushing Belgian.

What the stats say

This was a game City really did control from start to finish, even if they failed to create the enormity of chances we’re used to.

City had 76% possession over the night and completed over 700 passes. In comparison, Brentford made just 228 passes.

It was also notable, for how much more possession City had, the Bees lost the ball nearly as many times - 15 for the hosts and 13 for Thomas Frank’s men.

Meanwhile, City also created 15 shots and had seven on target. For the Bees those tallies were six and two, and neither of the strikes caused Ederson any real issues.

Away fans

There was a humorous exchange between both sets of fans during the first half when the away supporters started belting out Hey Jude.

Of course, The Beatles song is one also favoured by Brentford fans, who have earned a reputation for playing the tune after famous home wins.

And there were a few ironic cheers from the home fans when the Brentford chant began. A few City supporters even joined in themselves, although changing the words to celebrate their famous City side