Akanji dropped, Doku decision made - Man City's predicted starting XI vs Brentford

Manchester City will be determined to return to winning ways when they lock horns with Brentford. Pep Guardiola will welcome the Bees to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as either side looks to climb the Premier League table.

The reigning champions will be eager to leapfrog Arsenal and narrow Liverpool's advantage at the top of the table, meanwhile Thomas Frank will be hoping to distance himself from a relegation scrap. At the weekend, Chelsea held City to a 1-1 draw – had Rodri not beaten Djordje Petrovic with a deflected effort late on, the Blues would've waltzed away victorious.

As for Brentford, they're still licking their wounds after Liverpool stormed past them 4-1 at the G-tech Community Stadium. Guardiola and Frank faced another only a few weeks ago when Phil Foden netted a spectacular hat-trick in west London.

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City will be looking for a similar performance on Tuesday evening, but the stakes are much higher this time around with the title race building a head of steam. So, with that being said, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at what changes Guardiola could make to his starting lineup.

Ederson keeps his place between the sticks. The 30-year-old shot-stopper has been as reliable as ever for the Premier League champions this season, and he'll continue to play a pivotal role for years to come. With Ivan Toney firing on all cylinders, he'll certainly have his work cut out.

Following Manuel Akanji's return to the lineup against Chelsea over the weekend, Guardiola suggested that it could take the Swiss a few weeks to find his best