Manchester City kept alive their hopes of retaining the Premier League title with a 3-0 victory over Brentford at the Etihad Stadium, as Omar Marmoush scored deep into stoppage time to end his recent goal drought.
Pep Guardiola’s side moved to 74 points with the win, cutting the gap to league leaders Arsenal to two points. However, City still require Arsenal to drop points in their remaining three matches if they are to have any chance of finishing top of the table.
Jeremy Doku opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark before Erling Haaland doubled City’s advantage in the 75th minute. Marmoush then completed the scoring in the 92nd minute after coming off the bench in the second half.
The Egyptian forward had not scored since March, when he netted twice against Newcastle United in the FA Cup to help City reach the quarter-finals. His late strike against Brentford provided another important contribution in a season during which he has alternated between starting matches and appearing as a substitute.
Manchester City made a breakthrough in the 60th minute when Doku put the home side ahead. Guardiola responded at the same point in the match by making changes to his attacking line-up, introducing Marmoush and Phil Foden in place of Rayan Cherki and another attacking option as City sought greater control in the final third.
The substitutions proved effective as City increased their attacking threat after taking the lead. Haaland, who continued his strong scoring form, added a second goal 15 minutes later to place the result beyond doubt.
Marmoush’s contribution arrived in added time when Haaland turned provider, setting up the Egyptian for City’s third goal of the evening. The finish ended a lengthy wait for another goal and rounded off a comfortable evening for the defending champions.
The result ensured City maintained pressure on Arsenal in the closing stages of the title race. While Guardiola’s side remain in contention, their fate is no longer entirely in their own hands, with Arsenal still holding a narrow advantage at the top of the table.
City’s victory also underlined the depth available within Guardiola’s squad as substitutes played a decisive role in the closing stages. Marmoush’s goal, in particular, offered encouragement for the forward after a difficult run in front of goal since his FA Cup success earlier in the year.
Brentford, meanwhile, were unable to contain City’s attacking quality once the home side found momentum in the second half. After keeping the contest level for an hour, the visitors struggled to respond following Doku’s opener and eventually conceded three times before the final whistle.
With only a handful of matches remaining, Manchester City continue to chase Arsenal at the summit of the Premier League standings. The reigning champions must now hope for a slip from the leaders while ensuring they maintain their own winning form through the final weeks of the campaign.
