Brentford vs Man City – Sunday, 4:30pm
Brentford could secure a Europa League Conference place if they beat Manchester City on Sunday and other results go their way.
Key stats
- Both teams have found the net in 11 of Brentford’s 17 home Premier League matches.
- Man City have won the final game of the Premier League season six years in a row.
- Man City have won 11 of their 12 away matches against Premier League teams outside of the top eight.
- Man City are unbeaten in their last 12 away matches and 25 overall.
Verdict
Not many people are talking about Brentford’s prospects going into the final day. As improbable as it seems, the Bees could still pinch a Europa Conference League place.
They sit ninth in the Premier League, a point behind eighth and two behind seventh. They’ll need to beat Manchester City and keep their fingers crossed that both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur fail to win.
Thomas Frank’s men have quietly won four of their last five despite the disruption of losing Ivan Toney. They can also draw on the positives of beating Pep’s side at the Etihad in November.
City do not need to win with the Premier League title wrapped up, but momentum could be an important thing. They were arguably second best at Brighton but a point continues their unbeaten run.
The visitors are unbeaten in 12 away matches in all competitions, a run which started with a commanding 3-1 win over Arsenal. It’s now been 25 matches since they lost home or away.
Guardiola and his men are unlikely to have forgotten their defeat to Brentford. It’s the only time the Cityzens have been beaten at home this season, winning 29 times and drawing once in the remaining games.
That could yet go against Brentford on the final day if the visitors fancy exacting some revenge.
The hosts will prove tough to break down and there’s more than one threat in their ranks, but it’s hard to ignore Toney’s influence. The Bees would be 15 points worse off without his goals.
We feel like Brentford may have to take risks and leave themselves exposed at points in this match. Without Toney to spearhead attacks and bring others in to play, they could get penned in without an outlet.
They need their best players on the pitch to compete with the elite sides, so we’re backing a Man City win in which the hosts find the net.
Brentford vs Man City 28/05/2023 – verdict, key stats and suggested bets
