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Beesotted contributor The Gowler (@BeesBreakdown) gives us the tactical and statistical lowdown of Brentford’s loss against Manchester City

Thomas Frank’s side came out in a 3-5-2, but the squad selection offered flexibility in how the Bees lined up. The wing-backs, Keane Lewis-Potter and Ajer, joined the backline of Collins, Pinnock, and van den Berg. Brentford’s midfield trio consisted of Damsgaard, Nørgaard, and Janelt, with Jensen missing out due to injury. The front two consisted of Wissa and Mbeumo, with the latter expecting to stay out wide while Wissa dropped to help the Bees build up.

Pep Guardiola’s oil money side came out in a 4-2-3-1 with Walker, Stones, Akanji, and Lewis making up the backline. Kovacic and Gundogan the double pivot, with De Bruyne ahead of them. Haaland up top joined by Savinho and Grealish on the wings. Pep’s bench consisted of countless options, including Gvardiol, Rodri, Dias, Silva, and Nunes.

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Summary

The Bees put up a threatening performance against one of the best squads in the world. A bit disappointing to lose after going up a goal early, but there are some positives to take away.

Manchester City ended with 2.17 xG to Brentford’s 0.96 xG, but the expected goals on target suggest a different story. While Manchester City still had 2.09 xGOT, the Bees ended with 2.28 xGOT. Whether it was superb goal keeping or luck, the Bees clearly had their fair share of chances.

The biggest positive takeaway is that the Bees showed they could play possession football against a very talented side. It took Manchester City multiple adjustments to prevent Brentford from easily building out of the back and progressing the ball. Brentford also showcased their clever set play routines, with Collins almost scoring off a corner kick.

On the other end, the Bees high press also gave Manchester City trouble. City launched all of their goal kicks, while Brentford took all of their goal kicks short. Pep’s side avoided Brentford’s press, unwilling to continue losing possession in their own third, and took advantage of the space given to them by launching long passes.

One question going forward is how will Thomas Frank replace Wissa? He is set to miss around two months due to his injury, and Thiago is already sidelined until the end of the year. This leaves a few choices and may force Carvalho into the first team sooner than Thomas Frank would’ve liked.

It’ll be hard to replace Wissa’s role, as he leads the squad with 4.03 xGChain, the total xG of every possession the player is involved in, which really shows how crucial he is in Brentford’s build up