Manchester City's Hard-Fought Victory Brings Them Closer to Premier League Leaders

Manchester City secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Brentford, bringing them within one point of Premier League leaders Liverpool. The win was crucial for City, who were looking to bounce back after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Chelsea in their previous match. Erling Haaland, who had a frustrating night in front of goal against Chelsea, finally broke the deadlock in the 71st minute with his 22nd goal of the season.

Despite dominating possession and having 25 shots on goal, City struggled to convert their chances into goals. Pep Guardiola opted to keep Kevin De Bruyne on the bench for the entire match, managing the Belgian's minutes as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Brentford, the last visiting side to win at the Etihad 14 months ago, had their opportunities to cause an upset. Frank Onyeka failed to beat City goalkeeper Ederson in a one-on-one situation, and Ivan Toney sent a dipping free-kick just over the bar.

City's victory keeps them in the title race, with just one point separating them from Liverpool and Arsenal. The win also puts City in contention to become the first team to win four consecutive English top-flight titles.

In other news, Liverpool suffered another injury blow as Diogo Jota damaged his knee in their win against Brentford. Jota is expected to be sidelined for several months, adding to manager Jurgen Klopp's growing list of injured players. Liverpool will face struggling Luton in their upcoming match without the services of Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcantara, and Joel Matip.