Manchester City v Brentford: Key stats and talking points

TL;DR

Manchester City faces Brentford in a crucial match as they aim to keep their title hopes alive. City is currently five points behind Arsenal, needing a win and hoping for Arsenal to drop points.

Key points

Manchester City aims to keep title hopes alive
City is five points behind leaders Arsenal
They need to win against Brentford
Arsenal must drop points for City to stay competitive
City drew 3-3 with Everton in their last match

Manchester CityBrentfordArsenalEverton

Manchester City aim to keep their title hopes alive on Saturday (17:30 BST) against a Brentford side with designs on reaching Europe. BBC Sport explores some of the key themes around this fixture.

It's still tight at the top…

It's rare for a team to score a 97th-minute equaliser and then finish the game feeling deflated, but that is exactly what happened to Manchester City at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday night.

Jeremy Doku's excellent injury-time effort salvaged a potentially decisive point for Pep Guardiola's side in a pulsating 3-3 draw with Everton. However, it felt more like a case of two points dropped for City, who are five behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

Despite that setback the equation remains simple for City and their quest for the title. Win this weekend and then hope Arsenal drop points at West Ham on Sunday, or at some stage during the run-in.

Goal difference could also be a defining factor at the end of the season and therefore a handsome victory on Saturday evening would be welcomed by all connected to City. They have found the net at least twice in 13 of their past 15 top-flight outings at the Etihad but goals have not flowed freely for them in this fixture.

City have scored just 13 times in nine Premier League meetings with Brentford and their average of 1.4 goals per game versus Saturday's opponents is their lowest total against any top-flight team during Guardiola's reign.