On a chilly Sunday afternoon in West London, Manchester City maintained their relentless start to the Premier League season with a narrow 1-0 victory over Brentford, thanks to an early goal from Erling Haaland that proved decisive at the Brentford Community Stadium.

The match, characterized by City’s trademark control and Brentford’s determined resistance, was ultimately shaped in the opening exchanges. In the ninth minute, Josko Gvardiol surged forward from his defensive post, threading a precise pass through Brentford’s defensive line. Haaland, ever alert, timed his run to perfection and calmly dispatched a left-footed effort past goalkeeper Mark Flekken. It was Haaland’s sixth league goal this campaign, and a familiar sight for the traveling City faithful: the Norwegian striker peeling away in celebration, arms spread wide, as City seized a lead they never relinquished.

After the early breakthrough, City looked poised to extend their advantage. Phil Foden’s clever movement and Bernardo Silva’s patient orchestration from midfield frequently stretched the Brentford shape, yet the home side refused to cede ground. Brentford’s backline, marshaled by Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins, settled into a compact block, repelling wave after wave of City attacks.

Brentford, missing several regulars through injury, found clear chances hard to come by. Kevin Schade, one of their main attacking outlets, earned the game’s first yellow card in first-half stoppage time for a late challenge on Silva—a sign of the physical edge they attempted to bring to the contest. Still, the Bees rarely threatened Ederson’s goal before the interval, the goalkeeper a near-spectator save for a routine claim from a long-range effort by Bryan Mbeumo.

There was an early twist for City as well: a forced substitution in the 22nd minute, with Rodri introduced unexpectedly, suggesting concerns for manager Pep Guardiola over squad fitness as the European and domestic calendar intensifies.

The second half followed a similar pattern. Manchester City dominated possession, but Brentford’s rearguard action remained stubbornly intact. In the 68th minute, Thomas Frank, the Brentford manager, introduced Mads Damsgaard and Iven Thiago in a double substitution, seeking fresh legs and new ideas. Shortly afterward, Brentford won a series of set pieces, but the visitors’ defense absorbed the pressure without yielding.

As the match ticked into its final quarter, the physicality intensified. Yoane Wissa and Jensen sought to disrupt City’s rhythm in midfield, while tempers occasionally flared. Brentford’s new signing, Jonny Henderson, was cautioned in the 70th minute for a mistimed tackle. Manchester City’s Mateo Nunes and substitute Niall O’Reilly would also see yellow in a frenetic spell, as would Dango Ouattara for Brentford, reflecting the contest’s high stakes and mounting tension.

Guardiola turned to his bench with a double change: Oscar Bobb replaced Foden in the 76th minute, while Tijjani Reijnders entered for Silva a minute later. These substitutions injected fresh urgency but did little to change the tempo. Brentford, for all their endeavor, struggled to find a decisive touch in attack—even as Yoane Yarmolyuk entered in the 73rd minute and Henderson departed moments later, the home side never truly tested Ederson.

The closest the Bees came to leveling came in stoppage time, following the introduction of Kristoffer Ajer in the 92nd minute. However, City’s defense proved unyielding, with Ruben Dias authoritative in the air and Rodri shielding effectively in front of the back four.

As the final whistle sounded, City’s players exchanged embraces, well aware of the significance of another hard-fought win in the capital. The result lifts them to the summit, reinforcing their status as favorites in a title race in which every point is precious.

For Brentford, it was another lesson in the fine margins of Premier League football. Though they defended with discipline and created a spirited atmosphere inside the Community Stadium, they were left to rue their inability to threaten the champions more consistently in the final third.

For Manchester City, this was not a performance of overwhelming flair but of quiet authority. Haaland’s early strike was enough; Guardiola’s men, as has become their custom, had done just enough.