Manchester City hold on to beat Brentford but Rodri forced off with injury

0:06You're listening to the Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Welcome along. A busy Sunday of Premier League action was rounded off by Brentford against Manchester City. Here's how things sounded at full time.

0:25And that's your lock. Pep Guardiola does have his 250th Premier League win. and not for the first time it is a win secured for him by Erling Haaland the greatest of all battering rams who clattered through inside the first quarter of an hour to apply the most important touch of a football match which after half-time certainly became a whole lot more competitive Manchester City clearly are not going away another display from them of coherence and competence and when required class and Gary they are back up to within touch yeah they fully deserved it today obviously the first half they were dominant but it's not vintage city they're having to win games like the rest of us have had to win games over the years they've had to dig in in that second half Brentford got a lot better Keith Andrews will be disappointed with that first 45 minutes but his team were better in the second but he will be happy he's in touch with the top of the league where he's been for so long of his managerial career three points off arsenal two points off liverpool and he'll think within grasp of another title race yep brentford beat that home for the first time this season city though right back in the thick of it three points off the premier league lead as we hit the october break mark it's brentford nil manchester city one thank you Peter thank you Gary strange old game that Jamie Redknapp wasn't it it was yes City was so comfortable first half he felt like it could be any score but Brentford came out second half they didn't change the tactics they just got after people a little bit better they narrowed the gaps they stopped Manchester City having so much comfort in the game we didn't see as much as Phil Foden we certainly didn't see as much of Erling Haaland who was unplayable in that first half and they just lost their rhythm a little bit but sometimes in these games when it gets a little bit messy a bit more difficult the one thing you have to do is get across the line and get three points three points within chelsea within um arsenal now and they'll be delighted with that it was never an easy game wasn't easy on the eye to watch but when you've got harlan in this kind of form he's unstoppable i i don't know about you michael but i think it's as good as i've ever seen him yeah he's been outstanding this season i think what was interesting to see also was coming out on onto the the pitch here the celebrations from the man city players and know how big that that win is yes in the second half it wasn't great but I think ultimately it's about the free points I think in that first half like you said Jamie and you alluded to that they're some of the best football I've seen from Man City in terms of keeping the ball the rotations were really good I think the one thing for Man City is now they need to finish off games because Brentford take that chance that they got in the second half with Thiago again they're beating themselves up But in terms of them and where they are, it's just, it's a big win, important win for them.

3:21And where they are in the table now, which is three points off Arsenal. And maybe when, it's all relative, isn't it? After only seven games or whatever, but that sticky spell of Tottenham and Brighton, maybe they wouldn't have expected to be that close to whoever the Premier League leaders were. Well, there's going to be swings and roundabouts all season, isn't there? I think that first game at Wolves, I thought Man City were back to the best. and there were a few wobbles, didn't they, against the Brighton Spurs that you mentioned. And then it's just, have you got the mentality to get back? Can you stay in games?

3:53Can you wait for other teams to drop points? And that's what's happened this weekend. I think with the quality that they have, we mentioned Ryan does before the game, brings the energy. Haaland, he's at his best at this moment in time. And a big thing they've got now, they've got a really good goalkeeper as well. I think Edison, when he first came then, he was magnificent with his feet. the way they wanted to play but Donnarumma I just think since he's come to the club he's really made a big difference I mean you can see the two of them walking off there Donnarumma and Harland they're about 15 yards away from us they are big men Jamie they are big big men they're colossal on the pitch off the pitch and I think one of the other things Pep would be delighted about today was maybe not the form second half but the way that they dealt with the throw-ins with the corners with the things that are very hard when you play against a side like Brentford.

4:45You know, the balls that were coming into the box, and that's what, obviously, Keith Andrews does so well. He makes it so hard for the team to defend. But they did it really well today. They had to dig in, and he'll be delighted with the three points, as I say. And Brentford's second half, I thought they were really good. They made it difficult, and it was hard. It was really tough. When you're chasing the ball in the first half, and all you can see is shadows, and you can't have a touch of the ball, it becomes quite demoralising. but they hung in there and they could have got something out of the game in the end.

5:14Let's just remind you as we watch Keith Andrews do that lap of appreciation, let's just show you what's happened today, what's happened across this Premier League round of matches which started on Friday night with that impressive Bournemouth comeback at home to Fulham as they won that by three goals to one. Wins for Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and Manchester United yesterday and then these five games on Super Sunday. Aston Villa seeing off Burnley, Everton leaving it late to beat Crystal Palace, Jack Grealish with the winner there. Newcastle 2, Nottingham Forest 0, Brighton got a late equaliser at Molineux to draw that one all, and confirmation finally of Manchester City's 1-0 win here at Brentford.

6:02So this is what they all do to the Premier League table and confirmation that Manchester City are now just three points behind Arsenal. Bournemouth two points behind them after that win on Friday night. Everton are eighth after that late win at home to Palace. Manchester United's win over Sunderland yesterday has just squeaked them into the top ten.

6:30Aston Villa going up the table after that win at home to Burnley. Newcastle nearly in the top half as well. Nottingham Forest will be looking worriedly over their shoulders. They're now just a point above the drop zone. After that defeat at Newcastle, Brentford are two points better off.

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7:47Welcome back to the Sky Sports Premier League Podcast. Let's get back to the studio for more reaction to today's game.

7:59To a corridor for Haaland, away from Vandenberg. Still earning Haaland, crashes it in. Just one more. They bounced up in and he is bouncing.

8:21And as you can see, the man himself is joining us now. Congratulations, another goal, another goal. we saw you then though you were nearly not getting out of the Manchester City fans as you celebrated. Yeah, it was a tough game and it reminded me a bit about Stoke City with De Lape 15 years ago. So, lovely to win, you know, and important. Did you find it a tough game then when you go back to Stoke City and De Lape? Did you find it a physical battle today? Yeah, of course they are huge and and they do throw-ins from the middle. So, of course, it's not easy, but it's about preparing. It's about being ready for what's going to come and analyze good.

9:05And we did. We have a great backroom staff that did their job really well. So, all praise to them. I want to talk to you about your goal. You had a little battle with Vandenberg all game. And then once you had that, under that face says it all, that little bit, you have a bit of contact with him here. And then again, another one, and you push him off. and then what talk to us about what you do from here what are you trying to achieve first five minutes he just kept on pushing me so i was thinking all right let's have it so then i started pushing him back and this is for me this is a proper goal

9:41you just put me on the floor you're easy no this for me this goal is the top he tries and the finish as well now this was this is for me one of my better goals because the whole the whole thing I think is it does the physical battle in some ways fire you up even more I mean your face like yeah but people couldn't see that because we see the goal but your face came a light when we talked about the physical battle yeah you just I think it helps me because to be honest I was a bit tired before the game going into the game I was thinking it's gonna be a tough tough game but then after 10 seconds he started pushing me and he starts motivating me so all praise to him honestly he made me want to do that are you happy you're getting more chances like this though you used to playing against the low block with not many touches but when you open up like that it's just amazing to see yeah i think there is always space even though people are low you just need the right timing i think you look at monaco the goal there wasn't a lot of space but i I found the run and the perfect ball.

10:47So, yeah, I like when people come like this against us as well. It's good. Low block is not easy. And you see it's not easy today as well with three big centre-backs and two people in front of them, five people around us at all times. So that's why it's not easy. And that's why it feels even better. It feels, obviously, when you look at those goals you're scoring, nine in the Premier League, is it fair to say that you're in the form of your life? you can say so. I've never felt better than I do now. So, yeah, you can say so. Do you know why? Why are you feeling as good as you are feeling? Are you doing anything differently?

11:23Is it mentally? Is it physically? You've got eight teams for club and country at the moment. Is it a mental thing, a physical thing? What is it? I think it's about preparation, first of all, getting ready for the games. And I spoke so many times about it before. You can be physically ready, but you need to be mentally ready as well. and to be honest, I think with a kid, it makes me even better because I actually disconnect more than ever. I don't think of football at all, which sometimes when you're a bit younger, you think of this and that and maybe worry a little bit about things. But when I go home, I relax even more.

11:55So I think I need to give a shout out to my son. What are you eating? Before you go, what are you eating? I want your diet. It will come soon on YouTube. So give it two weeks' time and you'll see it. Listen, you've got to go on off on international duty as well now, so thank you very much for giving us your time. Thank you. I mean, Michael wants to know what your diet is. I want to know how your kids relax you, because mine just stressed me even more. But I mean, thank you. Hopefully not. Thank you very much. You could just see how relaxed he is. It's unbelievable. I think when Jamie asked him the question, I think it was you asking the question.

12:38He just expects to score all the time. I think when he brought to the club, I remember listening to an interview with him and he was saying, it's his job. He believes he's world class. This is what he's here to do. He's been frustrated at times, probably last season, even though his goal record was still tremendous. He's just absolute specimen. I think sometimes when we're analysing the game and stuff, we talk about what he can't do rather than what he can do. And yes, he can improve in holding up the ball. but if you look at his movement in the box, it's just amazing. It's some of the best movement I've ever seen.

13:12People talk about, yes, his goal today was physical strength, running through, but his IQ, knowing when to hold his run and when to just pull out to the back post and get all these goals, it's just tremendous to see. I'll tell you what else you've learned today, Mark, and every Premier League defender should be thinking this. Don't try to fight him. Don't kick him. Cuddle him. because as soon as you get into this, kind of try to intimidate him, try to threaten him, try to get in front of him, you've turned him on. That's exactly what he wanted. And when he was asked the question, he said, first 10 minutes, I felt a bit tired.

13:46And then he started doing this to me, and I was like, okay, bring it on. I'll have some of you. And that's exactly what happened. So in the future, there are some... I always used to think, I played with Emil Heskey. Emil was like that. When someone got Emil angry, that's the sort of thing he could do. But if you were nice to him and let him have it, how you doing, Emil? Nice to see you. He wasn't so interested in it. And I think that's a little bit the same with Haaland today. They started this war and he certainly finished it. But then that begs the question for any central defenders or defenders in general who are watching this.

14:17What do you do with him? Don't fight him. Don't fight him. But the instinct must be, if you've got a six foot three centre forward who's a goal scoring machine, that you want to have a battle with him. So what do you do? You retreat as soon as possible. As soon as the ball comes up, as soon as Guardiola's got the ball, he looks up you drop off because once you get into a physical battle with him it's it's impossible you know you've got pace and strength and he's got a conviction to finish it off as well just give yourself another yard but then what happens if you give him the space though yeah but the space will be in front of him if you give yourself five yards and the space is front of him we've talked about harlan for a long time now about him holding up the ball that is not his strongest part of the game so i would be saying in that position just let him have the ball as soon as it gets his touch and then I'm engaging that that is a different brandon berg there tried to fight him tried to go too soon and before you know it is in a fight with him and you're never catching him it's also a great insight to what goes on in an elite elite athlete's mind because he said I've never been happier off the pitch and I think he looks like that because sometimes when we've interviewed him and we're all we'll stand and sometimes he can be a bit surly can score a couple of goals he perhaps doesn't give you the interview that you'd like that's the happiest I've ever seen him we were lucky we stood with him because everyone else sees the analysis, but his face lit up when we were talking about that goal.

15:35And that gives you a little insight into where he is and his mindset and how comfortable he is in his own skin. And that's why probably he's in, I feel, I mean, last year he started the season really well as well, but it just feels like he's an all-round game. And I think that you asked him the question, with Man City at times, but a bit more direct, that ball down the side as well, I think that's one of the most underrated balls in football. That's what he wants. He doesn't want the ball always into his feet. He wants to run the other way. Because when he gets It's the other side of you. No defenders can deal with him.

16:05He seems relaxed on the pitch as well, doesn't he? With his facial expressions as well. And the sort of, yeah, this is just what I do. Whereas, as Jamie says, there were times last season where he may be, I mean, he was still scoring goals, but got more of a frustrated figure. I think it was a little bit different today because Brentford, there wasn't in a real low block. There was sort of mid-block wanting to drop off into that. So that allowed Haaland space. Yes, he scored a lot of goals, but we've said many times on this show he's only had four and five touches in the first. So that can be frustrating.

16:37I think now, whether he's scoring goals in the box, whether he's getting these opportunities, it just looks like he's happy. And I think that's the most important. I noticed that when you tried to do a demonstration of how to deal with him, you used Jamie as who you were going to mark. He didn't want none of you. He did. He wasn't doing it with her. He knows, Mark. He wasn't doing it to you either. He knows. I've got your number, I tell you.

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17:37A 1-0 win for Manchester City here at the GTEC Community Stadium. It takes Pep Guardiola's side three points behind Arsenal in the Premier League and he's with Emma Saunders. Well, Pep, congratulations. Is that relief, joy, perhaps a mix of both? How do you reflect on today? No, good. They had one chance in the first half and one duel that we lost. But part of that, OK, more corners, more throw-ins, more actions. And the rumours from the Premier League always is there, but we don't concede. And yeah, we play next standing first half. That is close to our best in many, many things. The problem is when you score goals and the chances that we had.

18:23And Kaheler make a good save. It's more and more difficult. in Premier League second half with 1-0, it always happens. But we don't go much, we're more tired, of course, we attack less the spaces, but in general, really pleased for this month since the United game. The team grew up a lot in many, many things, and hopefully we come back healthy, the players for the national team. This is it, there were huge positives in that first half. When you've got 75 % of the ball, though, at the break, and it's only translating to four shots on target, Why do you think that is? Because there are 10 players behind the ball.

19:00Right? So there are other ways, it's a piece, another way that you defend deep and run in transitions, say 40 metres. So, so yeah, we could concede more, but it was so clear the chances and the other ones were blocked in the last shoot and we were there. So, but the process was really good and from here I always tried to build. And always from my experience when we won is because we play good, not because a lot or not or less chances. And the game was there. As the game grows on, you mentioned there are 10 players behind the ball. How much of a mental challenge does it then become for the players?

19:37From my experience already here, when 1-0 second half away games or even at home, always it's tight, everything can happen. They put the ball there, they are told, but we defend really good, the throw-ins and everything. So last season here, we could not win. We happened this season. We saw you embracing Erling Haaland at the end there. I think that's 18 goals now in 11 games, all competitions, club and country. What were you saying to him? Keep going. He was tired, but keep going. Have been so important for us this season, I would say. We need more goals than the other ones, but the chances was there.

20:12So the winger have to score more goals. The winger have to create in situations, one against one, one against two, they had to finish more. But yeah, step by step we do it. As much as we are solid with the team in our game, we'll be fine. Perhaps the only real negative on today is Rodri. Could you first confirm exactly what it is he's done? I was right now when you asked me in the beginning of the game why he don't play 90 minutes all the time. The journalists always ask me why substitution against one. So hopefully, yeah, if he's injured, we have felt something, hopefully will not be huge. Just before you go, 250 Premier League wins, that's the milestone that you've reached today.

20:56You're the fourth manager to do it and you're the fastest as well, beating the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Arsene Wenger. You've so many accolades, what does that mean to you? I will invite them, all of them, to dinner. I think it's an honour to sit in the table with them, so it's not bad. It's 10 seasons, right? so it's many games and of course 250 victories is a lot. I don't know how many games, but yeah, it was faster for one reason, it's because we won a lot, right? So we won a lot and that's why you made a point. It's nice to, I didn't know it, it's nice and yeah, I will call Sir Alex and Arsene to go one day.

21:39I will invite Sky to be present there, okay? Oh, please do. Yeah. Thanks, Brett. Thank you. So we're all going for dinner. I fancy the interview. Yeah, absolutely. There's just confirmation of how quickly he has reached 250 Premier League wins in 349 games. So what's that? 55 quicker than Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and David Moyes, the other three on that list. And the speed of that does reflect, Mike, their dominance over many seasons under him. Yeah, he's one of the greatest ever to do it. I think when we've talked about Guardiola, it's not just the wins, it's how they've won, how he's changed the football, the ticker-tacker.

22:22A lot of people said it wouldn't work when he first came. Obviously, that first season when he came, it was a little bit of disappointment by his standards. But ever since then, they've just took the game to new heights. He's had to bring in players, he's had to suffer injuries, but the standards always remain the same. They dropped off a little bit last season, But for a team to win the Premier League four years in a row, it's just sensational stuff. And constant discussion about how his City teams have evolved over different eras and how he has changed things and adapted things. And this does feel like a different version of Manchester City again, doesn't it?

23:00Yeah, it does. And I think that's a lot to do with the introduction of the players. I think there's been a lot of talk over this last few months about players adjusting to the Premier League and how difficult it can be. But then I've watched Rinders since he arrived at the Premier League and first game against Wolves, and I was taken aback of how good he looks, how comfortable he looks. And he gives them a completely different dimension. And I'm not going to compare him to Kevin De Bruyne because he's always been my favourite and always will be because of what he did. But he's a different type of player.

23:27The way he covers ground, the way he runs with the ball, he's so graceful. He doesn't maybe spot those eye-catching passes that Kevin did. But there are certain things that he does that are just amazing. and this league catches you by surprise. It's tough, it's physical and he seems to always find time on the ball. He's been a really good addition to the club and sometimes they've spent vast amounts of money to get the superstars and you thought, well, only they can get in because of the money. He was one that probably lots of other clubs would have looked at, maybe not quite sure, played at AC Milan and obviously had a good career but he looks like a really, really good bit of recruitment.

24:03I've been very impressed with him. So how high do you think he can go? We're talking... Yeah, I mean, yeah, just keep doing what he's doing. I mean, in terms of how far he can go, he can be the catalyst in that midfield, you know, and take Manchester City back to challenging winning titles, winning titles quicker than probably what we thought because it's going to take a little bit of time because of the players they've lost. But, yeah, and especially when you lose Rodri at the moment and he's going to be in and out, as Pep's rightly said, when you come back from an injury, it's never easy and he's struggling with other parts of his body and he has to adjust to that.

24:34But when that happens, that's when you need other players to step up. Phil Foden has stepped up and he looks back to his best. Rinders, as I say, has been fantastic. And sometimes it's the different players. And when you have Kevin De Bruyne there, at times you're so reliant on him and everybody else waits for him to do something. Now it's maybe more of a collective and that's what we might see with Manchester City. That's the only negative, really, for City from this evening, isn't it? Rodri and obviously Pep Guardiola said to Emma, they hope it's not too serious and they will wait and see. Something tweaked in that right hamstring?

25:09Yeah, it doesn't look good. I think Pep alluded to it in his interview there. Everyone's asking why he doesn't play all the minutes. I think he's just trying to protect him. When you come back from a bad knee injury, you do get these little niggers, whether it be a calf, whether it be a hamstring or whatever it may be. But City need him back and need him back to his best as soon as possible if they want to challenge for this league. Because you've mentioned Rinders. because Rodri, Ballon d 'Or winner, is one of the best midfielders I've ever seen in the Premier League. He's different, isn't he?

25:37He's just different. You saw the effect of him last year. The good thing is they've got an international break now to give him a bit of time, a bit of treatment, and get to the bottom. Because I know what Pep's saying about injuries. When you have a cruiser or a long injury, some players come back and then they're fine. He, for whatever reason, is maybe finding it a bit more difficult. And you see those games coming up, you're going to need him. But what they're showing in the period that he's in and out of the team, they're still effective and they're still playing well. I mean, you will have both had injuries in your careers.