One of the toughest tasks in football has to be travelling to the Etihad Stadium to face after they have just dropped valuable points during the home stretch of a title race.
Saturday’s 1-1 draw with must have felt like a defeat for and his players, who looked utterly dejected at the final whistle.
The failure to beat the inconsistent Blues means City cannot climb above leaders Liverpool if they win their game in hand against Brentford – the last team to beat them on home soil when they took full points back to London after a 2-1 win thanks to Ivan Toney’s double in November 2022.
Win at the Etihad is something Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and a host of other top teams have failed to since then.
The Bees did the double over City last season but have already lost to them this term, when Phil Foden’s hat-trick erased the opener from Neal Maupay.
Brentford responded by winning 2-0 at Wolves but then at the weekend. Toney scored his fourth goal in five matches since his return from suspension at the start of the year but the Reds were easy winners.
The Bees will be expecting a backlash in Manchester and although boss Thomas Frank is a shrewd tactician, another away win against the defending champions looks a monumental task.
The bookies obviously think that way, pricing City at no better than 1/5 with Coral and bet365 to win and they are just 7/10 with the former firm and Ladbrokes to lead HT/FT.
This could well be one of those nights when Guardiola’s team remind everyone else why they are the most feared side in the world on their day and a victory by more than three goals is 7/2 with Betfair and Paddy Power.
Erling Haaland missed some sitters against Chelsea and is 9/4 with the big three of Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill to atone with the opening goal, while Foden is 21/10 with Paddy Power to get on the scoresheet against Brentford again.Â
City have kept just two clean sheets in their last seven matches, so back Toney to grab a consolation at the same price with the same firms.
A 5-1 City win is 25/1 with Hills, Ladbrokes, Coral and bet365.
• Inter Milan are 4/5 with Betway and Betfred to win their Champions League round of 16, first leg with Atletico Madrid at the San Siro. Lautaro Martinez is 4/1 to open the scoring and 13/8 to score at any time with bet365.
• West Brom, Reading, Stockport and Morecambe form Tuesday’s Football League yankee.
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