Manchester City threw away a two-goal lead as Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard scored late goals to earn the hosts a 2-2 draw in a Premier League thriller on Tuesday.
After suffering six league defeats in November and December, City bounced back with a draw against Everton and wins over Leicester City and West Ham United, but Tuesday’s late collapse brought their short-lived revival to an abrupt halt.
The point leaves them sixth on 35, 12 adrift of leaders Liverpool,who drew 1-1 at second-placed Nottingham Forest, while the Bees are 10th on 28 following an unlikely comeback.
After struggling to create chances in the first half, City winger Savinho went close to breaking the deadlock in the 50th minute, marauding forward through the left channel before thumping a shot off the foot of the post.
Two minutes later City striker Erling Haaland headed straight at the keeper when he should have scored.
The breakthrough finally came for City in the 66th minute when a brilliant ball from the right by Kevin De Bruyne was met by Foden, who steered a deft volley in at the far post.
The game should have been over when Foden made it 2-0 12 minutes later by reacting quickest to rattle home the rebound, after Savinho’s shot was saved, to silence the home fans.
Four minutes later, however, Brentford’s Wissa ensured a nervy finish when he fired in from close range to reduce the deficit and, with City’s defenders having made several last-ditch interventions to protect the lead, they should have been aware of the threat posed by the hosts.
But Denmark international Norgaard was allowed to complete the comeback two minutes into added time, getting enough power on his glancing header to send it past Stefan Ortega, despite the City keeper getting a strong hand to it.
City manager Pep Guardiola was animated at the final whistle, both hugging and berating his goalkeeper after another underwhelming display by his side.
“We just looked tired at the end in the last 20 minutes, we looked leggy,” Foden said. “They put longer balls into the box and we didn’t deal with the physicality in the end.
“It’s definitely picked up from previously and performances are a lot better than they were. We’ve still got steps to go to where we want to be but as long as we keep making them small steps and improving that’s what we’re aiming to do.”
Things were a lot brighter for the Brentford players after their display of character was rewarded with a point.
“I don’t know how we did it,” Norgaard said. “We stayed in the game even though we were 2-0 down. We hung in there … and I’m proud of the way we managed to come back in the game.
“We aren’t here to lose by one so when Wissa got one back … I don’t know how I ended up there but it was nice to see it go in. Even though I’m not a striker I tend to listen in the meetings. I just attacked the gap and I was fortunate to see it go in,” he added.
(Reuters)
