Man City player ratings vs Brentford as Erling Haaland the hero

Manchester City won 1-0 against Brentford to move within touching distance of the top of the Premier League.

City had 17 shots in the first half at the Etihad but were frustrated by a dogged defensive performance from the West London club, who also had a speedy threat on the counter. However, with 20 minutes to go Erling Haaland stroked home his 22nd goal of an injury-hit season to ease the nerves and send the Blues towards a 14th win in 16 games in all competitions.

Mateo Kovacic and Jeremy Doku were both brought off the bench as Pep Guardiola looked to seal the victory. Here are how the players rated.

Ederson: Commanded his box and was more secure than the defenders in front of him to keep a rare clean sheet. 7

Walker: Plenty of attempts down the right wing that went nowhere, but he also put it on a plate for Silva with a good run to the back post. 7

Dias: Saw more of the ball than he normally would, although some misplaced passes at the back. 6

Stones: Started strongly showing composure all over the pitch, but his influence faded over time. 7

Akanji: Started off ok and tested Flekken in goal but the more time he spent on the ball the more he wasted it. 5

Rodri: Tried his best to influence the final third and made an important pass for the goal. 7

Foden: Of all the shots City attempted, his were some of the most dangerous as he came in from the right. 7

Alvarez: An assist to play the ball through for Haaland, but two good chances blazed over the bar in the first half. 6

Silva: A mixture of tidy and quiet, generally ok with what he was involved in but not involved enough. 6

Bobb: As good as anyone else on his first Premier League start and a clever touch nearly brought him a goal. 7

Haaland: The matchwinner with a