Brentford vs Man City Prediction for 5 October 2025 - Football

🔊 Can Brentford lay claim to ruling Manchester? The Bees could earn that prestigious title if they manage to defeat Pep Guardiola's side in the final match of the Premier League's seventh round. Last week, the hosts at the Brentford Community Stadium left the Red Devils empty-handed, and now they'll aim to stun the blue half of Manchester. However, bookmakers aren't too convinced. The Citizens are clear favorites and need a win to stay in the title race.

Head-to-Head

📊 Brentford are far from an easy opponent for Pep Guardiola's squad. The teams have clashed eight times this decade, with the Citizens dropping points on three occasions. Despite the noticeable gap in class, there hasn't been a single blowout recorded.

Brentford Team Overview

Brentford underwent significant changes this past summer, losing several key players and their head coach. However, Keith Andrews, who stepped into the role, is managing quite well, aiming for a mid-table finish. The Bees have been particularly strong at home, remaining unbeaten throughout the season despite facing formidable opponents like Chelsea, Manchester United, and taking on Aston Villa twice.

In their last match, the team faced Man United and pulled off a surprising 3-1 victory over the Red Devils. It was unexpected but thoroughly deserved. The standout performers were Igor Thiago, who netted a brace by the 20th minute, and Caoimhín Kelleher, who saved a penalty from Bruno Fernandes when the score was 2-1. The Irishman is a real expert at saving penalties, having stopped 4 out of 7 spot-kicks in his club career.

Manchester City Team Overview

It's only the beginning of October, yet Manchester City have already dropped points four times this season. Three of these setbacks occurred in the Premier League — against Tottenham (0-2), Brighton (1-2), and Arsenal (1-1). As a result, the Citizens currently sit seventh, trailing the league leaders by five points.

Their latest stumble came recently in a Champions League clash against Monaco (2-2). A brace from the ever-present Erling Haaland, who has netted nine goals in his last six club appearances, nearly secured a coveted victory for the Sky Blues. However, Pep's side conceded a late penalty, and Gianluigi Donnarumma couldn't come to the rescue.

Latest news

Brentford

🎙 Keith Andrews has expressed his respect for Pep Guardiola ahead of their head-to-head: "Guardiola has arguably been the best coach of the last 15 years in the modern era. The way he has managed, how he has transformed the perception of the game, and how it is played across various clubs and countries. I've been on my coaching journey and attended various coaching courses, and his name frequently comes up. To say I have the utmost respect for him would be an understatement."

❌ The hosts have just one player sidelined—Edmond-Paris Maghoma is injured. However, the midfielder is not a crucial part of the team's setup.

Manchester City

🎙 Pep Guardiola expressed his disappointment over dropping points against Monaco: "In football, winning is crucial; the result is what matters. The game was largely really good. Step by step, we will play better. Many players are performing very, very well. We hardly conceded any chances and created opportunities ourselves... We adapted well and played very well. That's my opinion."

❌ Manchester City's injury list remains familiar—Rayan Aït-Nouri, Rayan Cherki, and Omar Marmoush are missing yet another match. A relatively new setback is Abdukodir Khusanov, who had just started to establish himself in the first team.

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

Darren England is a sought-after referee, having officiated four matches in the current Premier League season. His average for yellow cards stands at 3.8 per game. The teams involved aren't particularly aggressive, yet it's worth noting that after six rounds, the "Bees" have been cautioned more frequently (1.8 compared to 1.6). In four of their last five head-to-head encounters, they have received at least as many bookings as Manchester City, often exceeding them significantly in this regard. Based on these numbers, we suggest betting on Brentford not losing the yellow card battle.

⚽️ Goal Prediction

In nine recent head-to-head clashes, Manchester City have only managed to score more than three goals once. Moreover, the "Citizens" have netted no more than two goals in nine of their last ten Premier League outings. Considering their fatigue after a European trip, we don't anticipate a change in this trend. Our bet is on the visitors' individual total to be under 2.5 goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

We don't expect a high number of corner kicks from the "Sky Blues" either, as in nine of their last ten away Premier League matches, Manchester City players have taken fewer than 6.5 corners. Pep's side has adopted a strategy of relinquishing possession, resulting in an unusually low average for corners this season—just 2.67 across three away league games.

Brentford know how to challenge the "Citizens," and why not do so now, when Pep's squad might be a bit fatigued after their Champions League trip to Monaco? The visitors are likely to score, given Erling Haaland's extraordinary form, but the "Bees" have their own goal scorer in Igor Thiago, who has already netted five times this season. It might not be these two who find the net, but we expect goals on both sides regardless, as both teams have scored in three of their last four head-to-heads and in seven of Brentford's last eight home Premier League matches.

As for the result, we wouldn't be too surprised if the often stumbling Manchester side encounter problems on the road again and drop points. A high-scoring 2-2 draw seems a plausible outcome, and the primary bet from Scores24's editorial team is both teams to score (yes).