Brentford Face Tough Test Following International Break

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It does not get any tougher for Brentford following the international break as they head up north to face Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Thomas Frank’s side will be bidding to become the first team to take points off the champions this season.

The Bees went down 1-0 in this fixture in the 2023/24 campaign. However, two seasons ago, they caused a huge upset, by beating Pep Guardiola’s side 2-1, thanks to a brace from Ivan Toney.

Frank Can Be Confident of a Big Performance

Brentford have made an excellent start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, taking five points from their opening three games. If you check out the Man City vs Brentford odds, you can see they are 13/1 to pick up a victory against the league leaders.

Manchester City are one of the leading Premier League tips to win the title again this season but if Brentford produce their best performance at the Etihad Stadium, they can make it a tough afternoon for the champions.

The Bees began the season with a 2-1 home victory over Crystal Palace at the Gtech Community Stadium. On their first away game of the campaign, they were defeated 2-0 by Liverpool, while in their most recent fixture, the West London club beat Premier League newcomers Southampton 3-1.

Just before the international break, Brentford also got through to the third round of the EFL Cup. They got the better of Colchester 1-0 in the second round. Their reward for that triumph is a home fixture against fellow London club Leyton Orient.


Manchester City have a 100% record going into their home fixture, with three victories from three games. They defeated Chelsea 2-0 in their opening match of the campaign in what was a tough start to their title defence. A 4-1 triumph came at home to Ipswich Town, while they came away from the London Stadium with all three points thanks to a 3-1 win over West Ham.

Toney’s Exit Brings End to Uncertainty

Brentford head up to Manchester without the services of Toney. It was confirmed on the eve of the summer transfer window closing that the England international had joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli for a fee in the region of £40 million.

Although it is a big loss for the club, it brings an end to a period of uncertainty. Toney had just one year left on his contract at Brentford, and it was clear he was not set to extend that contract beyond its expiration. The striker had not featured in any of the Bees’ opening four games this season.

Toney scored 72 goals in 141 appearances for Brentford. He played at the European Championship during the summer where he helped his country reach the final in Germany. The former Brentford Supporters’ Player of the Year is set to be fondly remembered by fans of the club.

Brentford’s visit to Manchester City takes place on Saturday, 14th of September at 3pm. Victory could see them climb into the top four in the Premier League standings.