The last time Manchester City lined up against Brentford in the Premier League they were playing without a recognised striker. A trio of Riyad Mahrez, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling formed the front-three for a game that so nearly went down as another frustrating afternoon for Pep Guardiola's side.
Some good work from Sterling saw him get down the left-hand side of the box before being brought down, winning his side a spot-kick. Mahrez, on this occasion, would cooly dispatch the penalty into the top corner.
City would go on to add their second goal after a mistake from Brentford in the build-up, passing the ball straight to Sterling whose shot was saved before Kevin De Bruyne eventually slotted home on the rebound. The Blues claimed all three points that day, but it was by no means a straightforward victory.
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Speaking to BT Sport after the match, Guardiola said: "They [Brentford] are so difficult to attack. Aggressive, high pressing, we build up they drop and defend so deep. Be patient, make no mistakes and in the end we got the result.
"Very satisfied with the performance. We conceded one shot, a few corners and were patient. Difficult when they defend deep with 10 players in their 18-yard box."
Nine months on from last season's result, City are about to find out just how far they have come as a team. The addition of Erling Haaland has without question elevated Guardiola's side, with the 22-year-old adding a far more threatening dimension to their frontline.
Regardless of whether or not the former Borussia Dortmund man starts, Brentford cannot risk not preparing for him to be named in Guardiola's starting XI. That element of surprise alone is enough to give City the upper hand ahead of kick-off, something that is likely to have given Thomas Frank a few sleepless nights.
City proved last season that they can win without a recognised centre-forward, but should Haaland not play, Julian Alvarez has proven that he is more than capable of stepping up to the plate when needed.
Last season City dominated the match against the Bees but required a penalty and a mistake to seal victory. Now, Haaland can show Guardiola that his side have a much-needed killer mentality, arguably the only thing they lacked last term, as they look to flex their muscles in front of the rest of the league one more time before the World Cup break.
And if he doesn't play, Brentford's plans to deal with the threat he carries will go to waste. Either way, Haaland is likely to have an impact this weekend.
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