In a classic Premier League match at the GTech Community Stadium, Brentford came from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw against Manchester City.
The match provided non-stop excitement, as City looked to be heading towards victory before a spirited Brentford fight, proving once again why they have one of the best home records in the division.
The first half ended in a goalless draw, but it was not calm at all. Both teams showed intent, with Brentford's Brian Mbeumo and Yoani Wessa causing City's defense problems early on.
Mbeumo came close to scoring in the 16th minute, forcing City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to make a good save.
Moments later, City's Erling Haaland missed a golden opportunity, heading wide of the goal after a perfect cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
City had 62% of possession in the first half, and De Bruyne created five chances, more than any other player on the pitch.
Despite this, the visitors were wasteful in front of goal, with Savinho hitting the post and Haaland's effort failing to trouble Mark Flecken past Brentford.
We never give up đź’Ş pic.twitter.com/QjcfmRwsJW
– Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 14, 2025
Meanwhile, the hosts showed promise on the counter-attack, but lacked accuracy in the final third.
City finally managed to break the deadlock in the 66th minute through Phil Foden. De Bruyne, who played a key role throughout the evening, sent a perfect cross into the box, and Foden redirected the ball past Flecken to make it 1-0.
Just 12 minutes later, Foden doubled City's lead. Flicken blocked Savinho's initial effort, but the rebound fell easily to Foden, who scored to give City what appeared to be a 2-0 lead.
However, the bees refused to give up. Brentford reduced the gap in the 82nd minute thanks to Wesa. Mads Rorslev sent a dramatic cross into the box, and Wessa took advantage of Nathan Ake's clearance to fire his shot into the top corner. The goal galvanized the home team's fans and paved the way for a grandstand finish.
The drama came to a head in stoppage time. In the 92nd minute, Kane Lewis-Potter made his way from the right and crossed to Christian Norgaard, who rose above the City defense to head the ball towards goal. Ortega touched the ball but was unable to clear it, and the ball was put into the net, igniting loud celebrations.
Brentford almost snatched the three points moments later when Mbeumo's shot beat Ortega, but Ake heroically cleared the ball off the goal line to preserve a point for City.
