Manchester City dismissed Chelsea in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, following a dramatic late win over Fulham at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
Pep Guardiola’s side are keeping the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League and will expect to collect another three points against the Bees on Saturday.
Brentford have collected just three points from their last four league matches, and have slipped into the bottom half of the table. After a strong start to the season, Thomas Frank’s side have just three wins on the board ahead of the World Cup break.
Both Teams To Score: Yes
Despite failing to win their first seven away league matches, Brentford have found the net in five of those fixtures.
City have only kept two clean sheets in their last five Premier League matches at the Etihad Stadium.
Only seven teams have amassed more expected goals this season than Brentford. Their attack always poses a threat, and they should at least be able to get on the scoresheet here.
Total Goals: Over 3.5
If Brentford are going to find the net, City need at least two to win the match.
Scoring two or more is pretty much a foregone conclusion for Guardiola’s side. Their goal tallies haven’t been as eye-catching of late, but the attack has still been generating a lot of goal-scoring opportunities.
Brentford conceded twice to Forest last weekend. They also let in four to Aston Villa and five to Newcastle last month.
Regardless of Erling Haaland’s availability, City should be able to score a few here.
Total Cards: Under 2.5
City have been shown three fewer cards than anyone else. Only five teams (including City) have received fewer cards than Brentford.
They are both in the bottom four in tackles per match, and the bottom three in fouls.
Teams are more vulnerable to cautions against City’s possession dominance, of course, but this seems like a match where the referee won’t have to do too much.
All odds are subject to change