da imperador bet： The Norwegian capitalised on a slip by an otherwise impeccable Bees' defence to send the champions one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool

da pixbet： Erling Haaland may have looked human on his previous outing against Chelsea but there is still no one Manchester City fans would rather the ball fell to in the box, and the Norwegian demonstrated his knack for effortless finishing by firing them to a narrow 1-0 win over Brentford.

Pep Guardiola started without Kevin De Bruyne for City's game in hand and Brentford yet again refused to stand aside for the treble winners, doing the double on them last season and making them work for their 3-1 win in West London earlier this month.

Bernardo Silva, Haaland and Julian Alvarez all missed decent chances in the first half and Thomas Frank's side continued to frustrate the treble winners after the interval. But they finally caved in when they lost the ball high up the pitch and City broke, with Alvarez playing in Haaland.

The Norwegian had just one defender to beat and his job was made far easier when Kristoffer Ajer buckled to the floor, leaving just goalkeeper Mark Flekken in his way. Haaland duly delivered, rifling into the bottom corner to send City second in the table, just one point behind Liverpool.

GOAL rates Man City's players from a relieved Etihad Stadium…

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Ederson (6/10):

Had to stay focused in the first half as Brentford had a few chances on the counterattack but was never truly tested.

Kyle Walker (8/10):

Took the initiative in attack, setting up Bernardo for a sitter and Haaland for a narrowly offside goal. Did what was required in defence, including putting off Frank Onyeka when he was through.

Ruben Dias (7/10):

Commanding and assured, quickly sniffing out any brief moments of danger Brentford created.

John Stones (7/10):

Made an important interception and gave City more fluidity when he stepped into midfield.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Not as useful as Ake or even Josko Gvardiol at left-back but was rarely tested.

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Bernardo Silva (5/10):

Not his finest day at the office. Missed a gaping chance to score in the first half with a free header and his night was summed up when he sent the ball out for a throw in.

Rodri (6/10):

Tidy and powerful.

Phil Foden (7/10):

One of the few players who managed to find space and open up the visitors.

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Julian Alvarez (6/10):

Wasteful in front of goal but ultimately provided the pass for Haaland to hit the winner.

Erling Haaland (7/10):

Had a bit of a frustrating night but when he finally got his chance he made no mistake. His goal could prove priceless come the end of the season.

Oscar Bobb (6/10):

Tricky and intelligent. Almost found the opener after a clever pause to avoid a block but his shot was cleared off the line by Ben Mee.

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Jeremy Doku (6/10):

Added an element of unpredictability when he replaced Bobb and City scored within 10 minutes of his arrival.

Pep Guardiola 6/10):

Won't be pleased with another rusty display but his one change helped get the job done, albeit indirectly. Took a risk by not starting De Bruyne but got away with it.