Guardiola: ‘The Better Team Won’ After Man City Shocked by Brentford

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says “the better team won” after the English champions were stunned 2-1 at home by Brentford.

Ivan Toney hit a double for the Bees, including a 98th minute winner, to put aside his disappointment after being left out of the England World Cup squad.

City had equalized on the stroke of half-time from Phil Foden but struggled to create many clear-cut chances, leaving them five points behind leaders Arsenal at the World Cup break.

“The better team won,” Guardiola told reporters. “We had a lot of problems and we could not press as they didn’t allow us.

“In this process when they gave it to the striker we could not do it. When Toney flicked the ball on while playing through the middle he created problems.”

Toney couldve had a hat-trick, spurning another late chance which Kevin De Bruyne cleared off the line.

Brentford finished the game with eight shots on target compared to City’s six. City mustered 29 shots from their 75 per cent possession but Guardiola lamented his side’s inability to genuinely threaten.

“We saw in the first action and the first 15 minutes they had two clear chances,” Guardiola said.

“After that we played better and played a bit quicker. We started the second half well but every time they break with long balls we could not do it.

“It was quite similar last season when they were here. We struggled to create as their structure defensively is so deep they force you to go outside and they defend crosses really well.”