Manchester City 2-0 Brentford

A heavily rotated Manchester City side was still more than potent enough to dispatch Brentford at the Etihad yesterday in the EFL Cup quarterfinals. A thunderbolt from the in-form Rayan Cherki in the first half and one from Savinho in the second ensured the win for the blue side of Manchester.

As earlier mentioned, Pep Guardiola gave a lot of his starters some rest. City lined up in a 4231 with Divine Mukasa up top, with Savinho on the left, Oscar Bobb on the right and Rayan Cherki in attacking midfield. In Igor Thiago’s absence, Kevin Schade and Mikel Damsgaard were the two up top in Brentford’s 532, in front of a midfield of Yehor Yarmolyuk, Vitaly Janelt and Mathias Jensen.

From minute 1, the Etihad Stadium was filled with the familiar hum of expectation, though the opening exchanges between Manchester City and Brentford in this Carabao Cup quarter-final were notably cagey. City, heavily rotated by Pep Guardiola, looked to settle into their trademark possession game, while Brentford appeared content to sit in a disciplined block and wait for opportunities to transition.

As the rain began to bucket down in Manchester, the game’s rhythm was interrupted by an early blow for the hosts. In the 15th minute, Oscar Bobb, who had started the match brightly, went down with what appeared to be a significant injury. After a brief period of treatment, it was clear he could not continue, forcing Guardiola into an earlier-than-planned change. Phil Foden was called from the bench, eventually entering the fray in the 19th minute.

The match’s first major flashpoint arrived midway through the first half and centered on a moment of genuine controversy. Kevin Schade found himself racing through on goal after a swift Brentford counter, only to be hauled down by Abdukodir Khusanov. The travelling Bees supporters behind the goal were vociferous in their demands for a red card, citing a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity. However, with VAR not in operation for this stage of the competition, the referee opted for a caution, brandishing only a yellow card. From the resulting free-kick, Mathias Jensen struck a curling effort with real venom, but James Trafford was equal to it, beating the ball away to safety to keep the game scoreless.

Manchester City began to turn the screw following that scare. Tijjani Reijnders, who was bossing the midfield, saw a volley fly just over the crossbar after a sustained period of pressure. The breakthrough finally came in the 32nd minute, and it was a moment of pure individual brilliance.

Following a corner that was only partially cleared by the Brentford defense, the ball fell to Cherki on the edge of the “D.” The playmaker showed remarkable composure, dummying past an onrushing Mikkel Damsgaard before shifting the ball onto his right foot and unleashing a rocket that arrowed into the top-right corner. It was a goal of the highest quality, and Cherki celebrated by mimicking Erling Haaland’s famous cross-legged pose, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Brentford attempted to respond before the interval, with Vitaly Janelt finding space in the inside-right channel, but a well-timed intervention from Rico Lewis stifled the danger. The half ended with City firmly in control and leading 1–0, though the visitors felt they were still very much in the tie.

The second half began with a renewed sense of urgency from Keith Andrews’ side. Brentford enjoyed a prolonged spell of possession in the City half, culminating in a powerful 25-yard strike from Kristoffer Ajer that forced Trafford into a diving save. Moments later, the visitors threatened again when Kayode skipped past Nico O’Reilly and tested the City keeper with a low drive from a tight angle. Trafford, eager to secure a clean sheet, was once again equal to the task.

City weathering that brief storm allowed them to reassert their dominance. Phil Foden, growing into the game, plucked a high ball out of the air in the 64th minute and fired a low drive toward the bottom corner, only to see Valdimarsson pull off a magnificent save at full stretch. Sensing the need to freshen up his side and perhaps protect his lead, Guardiola made a decisive triple substitution in the 65th and 66th minutes. Josko Gvardiol, Bernardo Silva, and Matheus Nunes were introduced, replacing O’Reilly, Cherki, and Nico Gonzalez.

The impact was almost immediate, though it was a player who remained on the pitch, Savinho, who provided the decisive blow. In the 67th minute, City broke quickly following a Brentford free-kick. Reijnders released Savinho down the left flank; the Brazilian winger drove inside, stretching the defense before unleashing a shot that took a significant deflection off Ajer. The ball looped high over the stranded Valdimarsson and nestled into the net, effectively sealing City’s passage to the semi-finals.

The final twenty minutes were largely an exercise in game management for the hosts. City continued to move the ball with clinical efficiency, and Savinho nearly earned a penalty when he went down under a challenge from Ajer, though his appeals were waved away. Foden continued to cause headaches, at one point slaloming through the entire Brentford defense, though he was unable to get a shot off at the end of the run.

In the 82nd minute, there was a special moment for the City academy as young Charlie Gray was handed his first-team debut, replacing Foden for the closing stages. Brentford threw on several late substitutes of their own, including Keane Lewis-Potter and Gustavo Nunes, but they were unable to breach a City defense that remained resolute until the final whistle. The match ended 2–0, a scoreline that reflected City’s superior clinical edge on a night where Cherki’s individual brilliance and Trafford’s solid goalkeeping ensured they booked their place in the Carabao Cup final four.