Brentford stun Premier League champions Manchester City 1-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium but miss out on a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Brentford fell short in their quest for Europa Conference League qualification on the final day of the Premier League season despite stunning champions Manchester City 1-0 at the Gtech Community Stadium.
A late Ethan Pinnock winner deservedly propelled the Bees to all three points against their below-par visitors, but with Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa both prevailing, Thomas Frank‘s side end another highly positive campaign in ninth place in the table.
With Man City boss Pep Guardiola once again putting out a makeshift XI with his eye on the FA Cup and Champions League finals, Brentford needed no second invitation to take the game to the champions in the opening minutes.
Yoane Wissa curled a ninth-minute effort onto the bar before the offside flag spared Man City’s blushes, but the visitors unsurprisingly posed a threat during their forays forward, albeit without giving David Raya much to think about.
The atmosphere around the Gtech Community Stadium evidently became that little bit more muted when news filtered through of Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur’s leads, which would have rendered a Brentford win inconsequential in their fight for Europe, but Frank’s side were not giving up the ghost.
Former Man City centre-back Ben Mee very nearly haunted his former club from close range in the 37th minute, but Ederson displayed terrific reactions to deny the Brentford man, who also met the resulting corner but could only send a header over the bar.
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The Bees continued to ask several questions of a second-string Man City XI following the restart, although confusion and controversy came to the fore during the first 15 minutes of the second half.
After the home crowd appealed for no fewer than three penalties – all of which fell on deaf ears – in the 56th minute, Wissa picked up a farcical booking for venturing inside the visitors’ box as Ederson waited to take a goal kick.
Seemingly more concerned about their imminent finals, Man City experienced the rare feeling of being under the cosh, but Brentford’s lack of a killer instinct was hampering their hopes of a memorable final-day success.
However, the hosts’ unrelenting pressure finally paid off in the 85th minute, as Kevin Schade accelerated down the right wing and sent in a cross to the back stick for Bryan Mbeumo, who headed the ball back for an unmarked Pinnock to prod home into the bottom corner.
The centre-back – who has only just signed a new deal at the Gtech Community Stadium – was then required to produce more heroics at the other end of the field during a chaotic 90th minute, denying Cole Palmer with two close-range blocks before Mee also thwarted the Citizens’ youngster on the line.
Guardiola’s men could not muster up a late response as they end the season on 89 points, 30 more than Brentford, and attention now turns to the Citizens’ FA Cup final with Manchester United on June 3 before their Champions League showpiece event versus Inter Milan on June 10.
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