Soccer
Manchester City will look to keep their recent winning streak alive when they face Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium.
After Manchester City only won two matches in the last two months of 2024, Pep Guardiola’s side has already kicked off the new year with back-to-back wins. In fact, City are coming off a 8–0 thrashing against Salford City in the FA Cup. The team’s upcoming competition will pose more of a challenge, though, as City return to Premier League action with an away match against Brentford.
Expect Guardiola to revert back to his strongest XI for the Premier League clash after giving plenty of youngsters the chance to shine at the weekend. The Spanish manager will still be without John Stones, Rúben Dias, Rodri and Oscar Bobb, though, due to injury. Kyle Walker will also likely miss out on Tuesday’s fixture after revealing his desire to move on from City and start a new chapter of his career abroad.
Here’s how Manchester City could lineup against the Bees on Jan. 14.
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GK: Stefan Ortega—Expect Ortega to get the nod between the posts after Ederson started in the FA Cup.
RB: Rico Lewis—The 20-year-old looks to be the permanent replacement for Walker moving forward.
CB: Nathan Aké—Since the Dutchman returned from injury, City have conceded just two goals in four matches.
CB: Manuel Akanji—Akanji is set to make his 120th appearance for the Citizens.
LB: Joško Gvardiol—The Croatian comes into the fixture after a much-deserved rest at the weekend.
CM: Mateo Kovačić—The former Real Madrid man is Guardiola’s go-to replacement for Rodri in the middle of the park.
RW: Phil Foden—The England international has two goals and one assist in his last five appearances across all competitions.
AM: Kevin De Bruyne—De Bruyne might be linked with a move to San Diego FC in MLS, but for now, he is still wearing a blue shirt.
AM: Bernardo Silva—The captain is one of the many players set to return to the XI after getting the weekend off.
LW: Savinho—Savinho has been one of City’s best players as of late, recording three assists and one goal in his last two starts.
ST: Erling Haaland—The striker trails Mohamed Salah by two goals atop the Premier League scoring charts.
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Read MoreAmanda Langell