A broken dam. Brentford’s will and guile forced that but so too did an edginess in Manchester City’s back line.
A stretched, dazed back line that will be strengthened with two new faces in the coming days. That, in this mid-season transition that Pep Guardiola has sanctioned in a busy January window, cannot come soon enough for the champions.
And that is not to say a couple of young centre halves – Abdukodir Khusanov of Lens, teenager Vitor Reis from Palmeiras – will fix City’s ills. It’d be unfair to expect them to.
Yet their introductions may offer something of a rest bite for somebody like Manuel Akanji, whose mistakes are niggling away. Or Josko Gvardiol, talked to by Guardiola on full time as City blew a two-goal lead with eight minutes remaining.
A weekend or two out of the firing line may do some good and alleviate obvious mental fatigue. Both of Brentford’s goals were preventable, Yoane Wissa with a three-yard radius to spin under the posts when stabbing past Stefan Ortega and Christian Norgaard enjoying a free run to bullet a 92nd-minute equaliser. Nathan Ake threw his arms in frustration and he wasn’t the only one.
City missed the opportunity to close these points out. They’d been broadly positive on a chaotic night when sides traded 39 shots between them. Slinging blows at each other and City matched the intensity of a Thomas Frank team who always frighten.
Christian Norgaard headed home in the 92nd minute to earn his side a huge point against City
Phil Foden scored twice after a hat-trick in the same fixture last term but it was not enough
Pep Guardiola and his bosses have decided in unison that the transition can wait no longer
‘What a football match,’ Frank said. ‘It’s the first time over 90 minutes we’ve gone toe to toe. I know they’re not up to full pace but they still produce unbelievable brilliance.’
City had chances, after Phil Foden’s double, to make triple sure of a third straight win. Guardiola appeared more vexed by City not ‘accelerating’ away from Brentford, discussing how too many times his forward players took the wrong options than any defensive collapse. ‘What I missed today was that we didn’t take the right decisions in the actions when we could run,’ Guardiola said.
That brings into sharp focus a third potential signing this month: Omar Marmoush. He can run. Over in Germany, Marmoush was lining up for Eintracht Frankfurt at exactly the same time as this kicked off, later scoring in a 4-1 win over Freiburg.
Txiki Begiristain remains in negotiations with his counterpart Markus Krosche over the finances. Sources indicated earlier this week that talks have been progressing nicely, with Frankfurt expecting to recoup around £67million.
Watching Matheus Nunes gallivant forward from right back – clean through with almost too much time on his hands – and then dithering to such a degree that Brentford nicked possession back inside their own box suggested that City are right to search for more killer instinct.
The man who owns their majority, Erling Haaland, could not stretch quite far enough to bullet in an exquisite left-footed De Bruyne cross, agonisingly shaping its way out of Mark Flekken’s reach.
City know they need more firepower to help Haaland out, although the Norwegian later had Guardiola exasperated when taking a De Bruyne pass on too early. De Bruyne then very nearly cleared the stand in attempting to curl home a loose ball. Things could be better in that department.
But then they are also fully aware that, while scoring goals has not come as freely this year, defensive reinforcements are equally important and it’ll be more than £60m for the pair.
While City were taking on Brentford Omar Marmoush was scoring once more against Freiburg
There are defensive recruits coming for City in Abdukodir Khusanov (pictured) and Vitor Reis
Foden’s first strike in particular was a thing of beauty deftly converting a Kevin de Bruyne ball
The forward has struggled for form but put his side two up on a night of wasteful finishing
Yoane Wissa plundered from some poor defending in the box to kickstart the Bees’ comeback
Norgaard’s header came in stoppage time but Stefan Ortega ought to have done better
Guardiola was correct in his assessment that there were decent things to take away from west London but letting this slip stings. Especially after they’d done the hard work in riding a storm once real chances fell to Bryan Mbeumo, Wissa, Mikkel Damsgaard and Keane Lewis-Potter.
The quality of Foden’s opener spoke to how good these attackers can still be. Savinho, a menace all evening and striking a post, sauntered and found De Bruyne wide right.
One touch, curl, Foden between centre halves, a deft guide to the far post. Poetry. Foden notched a hat-trick here last February and this signified goals in consecutive starts for the first time since April. Having him properly back would be a huge bonus.
That was their moment, when it all came together, yet City’s openness still yawns. Carved to bits once more, Mbeumo at the byline for Wissa. Six yards out, Ake threw himself at the effort to prevent a certain equaliser. Warnings would not be heeded.
It should have given a platform to make these points safe, with Foden soon shrugging his shoulders in celebration claiming a second after converging on a loose ball with De Bruyne.
But Brentford rallied. Wissa nudged beyond Ortega from Mads Roerslev’s centre with eight minutes left and there was a sense of more to come. Norgaard towered from a late cross, Ortega appearing too weak in failing to keep the header out.
Ortega seemed upset afterwards, Guardiola passionately telling his goalkeeper – in again instead of Ederson – to hold his head high.
