After a biblical downpour, the skies cleared, and Manchester City executed the game-plan: secure a win and three points to keep their breath on Arsenal’s neck.

The clincher arrived via Erling Haaland’s 26th Premier League goal - as with his side’s performance this was hardly pretty but no one in blue cared. Antoine Semenyo marauded down the right, his cross hit at least one Brentford body, the ball came to Haaland who, with a second stab at it, bundled home from close-range, the No 9 facing away from goal.

Pep Guardiola jumped into the arms of his assistant, Kolo Touré, and City could relax and tune into Arsenal’s trip on Sunday to West Ham praying the Irons do them a favour.

Erling Haaland is course to win the Premier League golden boot for third time in four seasons. Nobody has done that since Thierry Henry won three in a row in the mid-2000s.

90+4 min Thiago’s close-range header is touched onto the top of the bar and over by Donnarumma, an excellent reaction save. Goal difference could yet be a factor, as we’ve said a gazillion times in the last fortnight.

Marmoush is then booked for delaying a restart.

The impressive Foden started the move deep in his own half. Savinho was also involved before Haaland poked a pass into the area for Marmoush. He touched the ball to the side of Collins and finished clinically with his right foot.

90 min: City substitution The outstanding Jeremy Doku, who is almost single-footedly keeping City in the title race, is replaced by Savinho.

Five minutes of added time.

88 min Nunes and Henderson are booked.

87 min There’s a bit of pushing and shoving from players on both sides, with Henderson and Nunes particularly animated. Not sure what that was all about.

83 min Marmoush is about to shoot, and probably score, when Ajer makes a fine last-ditch tackle. City have this game under control for the moment.

82 min City’s next league game is at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday. The mood going into that match will be shaped by the result of West Ham v Arsenal tomorrow afternoon. That game is mahoosive.

80 min Ajer is booked for clattering Marmoush.

Haaland’s goal was his 26th in the Premier League, which puts him four ahead of Igor Thiago in the golden boot stakes.

79 min: City substitution Jordan Henderson replaces Yehor Yarmoliuk in midfield and is booed onto the field.

78 min Don’t be fooled by the scoreline: City have had to work extremely hard to beat Brentford (probably) and stay in the title race.

Semenyo did well on the right, charging past Lewis-Potter and sliding a dangerous ball into the six-yard box. It one way and the other until Haaland improvised by dragging a close-range flick behind his standing leg, through Kelleher and into the net.

74 min O’Reilly is booked for pulling back Ouattara.

73 min The irrepressible Doku runs to the edge of the D and curls a left-foot shot that deflects not far wide of goal.

72 min: No penalty It wasn’t a clear and obvious error, but Nunes did take a risk by leaning into Schade. Had a penalty been given it would also have been a red card because there was no attempt to play the ball.

I forgot to say that Dango Ouattara, who started the move, came on for Mikkel Damsgaard in the 69th minute.

71 min: VAR check! Brentford plead for a penalty when Schade goes over after a challenge from behind by Nunes. Thiago ran onto a good pass from Dango Ouattara and tried to find Schade with a square pass across the area.

69 min As things stand Arsenal’s goal difference is three better than City’s. That could still be a factor, especially if Arsenal draw at West Ham tomorrow.

67 min: Good save by Kelleher! Foden wins the ball on the edge of the Brentford area, gets it back from Doku and hits an early shot that is well blocked by Kelleher.

City have had their best spell of the half since Doku’s goal.

64 min Doku has been around for ages – he made his Anderlecht debut in 2018 – but he doesn’t turn 24 until later this month. If he keeps playing like this, the world will be his lobster for the next five years.

62 min: Brentford substitution Vitaly Janelt replaces Aaron Hickey in midfield.

City took a short corner on the left to Doku, whose attempted pass infield was blocked. The ball rebounded back to Doku, who shuffled further infield and curled what is fast becoming a trademark finish into the far corner. Kelleher had no chance.

60 min: Double substitution for City Phil Foden and Omar Marmoush replace Tiijani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.

59 min Doku beats a defender on the edge of the area, motions as if to shoot and then plays a really clever pass into O’Reilly. He takes a split-second too long to control the ball – I don’t think he was expecting it – and a series of Brentford defenders crowd him out.

58 min It’s a statement of the offensively obvious, but City are really, really missing Rodri’s composure and authority.

57 min City have been all over the place in the second half – unfocussed and far too emotional.

54 min A petulant push from O’Reilly on Kayode is a sign of City’s growing frustration. Moments later, Semenyo shoots high over the bar from 25 yards.

50 min Brentford take a short free-kick and Jensen’s through ball just evades the stretching Ajer, who would have been in on goal had he been able to control it.

49 min This is such a big half for City, though you wouldn’t know it from the subdued atmosphere. If City draw today, they will be four points behind Arsenal with three games to play, and Pep Guardiola will be facing a second successive season without a title. It would be an unwelcome first in his glorious career.

47 min Cherki pulls a shot wide of the near post from 15 yards. An imaginative effort – his body shape suggested a curler to the far corner – but off target.

46 min Peep peep! City get the second half under way.

Half-time reading

There is only one place to start with Brentford’s Michael Kayode: his unique baby gender reveal at an empty Gtech Community Stadium in February. The 21-year-old walked towards the West Stand, the frame of the goal covered in balloons, and after wiping the ball with a towel, it was time for his trademark long throw, though on this occasion only from the edge of the D. After the ball rippled the net, pink smoke confirmed his partner, Eleonora, is expecting a girl.

Given Kayode launched the ball 65.4 metres last September – further than any other player in the Premier League since Opta began recording such data in 2019-20 – it is hard not to think he was underselling himself. “I didn’t want to miss,” he says, breaking into laughter, “so I just kept it easy.” Family, friends, a videographer and photographer, plus the couple’s pomeranian, Kiri, were the only ones present. “It was a really special moment and celebrating like this was unbelievable … I just have to say thanks to Brentford for giving me use of the stadium.”

Significantly, there is substance to Kayode’s long throw: of the 157 he has hurled into the box in the Premier League this season, 40 have resulted in a shot and five have culminated in goals, almost 10% of Brentford’s goals scored tally. He downplays his part. “It is simple. Obviously it is a weapon, but across 90 minutes, in that period the ball is out for maybe not even five minutes for throw-ins.” Does he practise throw-ins? “No, no, not at all.”

The City captain Bernardo Silva gives the officials a mouthful before leaving the field. He needs to be careful as he’s already on a yellow card after whacking Nathan Collins on the leg.

45 min There will be two minutes of added time.

44 min Reijnders has a shot blocked by Ajer after a shimmering run to the edge of the area. Semenyo’s follow-up is also blocked.

Brentford need a half-time breather because it’s been one-way traffic since around the 25th minute.

43 min “I think, according to the letter of the law, whacking another player in a fit of anger counts as violent conduct,” writes Kári Tulinius. “I think the reason Bernardo Silva remains on the field is his Little Guy Privilege. Frankly, Silva striking Nathan Collins is a bit like a mouse punching an elephant.”

41 min Doku beats Kayode for the 477th time and cuts the ball back from the byline. Jensen is on hand to clear.

39 min Cherki’s free-kick is unwittingly blocked by Haaland, then Doku’s shot deflects behind for another corner.

38 min Doku, who has been a constant threat, is fouled just outside the D. The free-kick is slightly to the left of centre. Cherki, Doku and Reinnders are over it…

36 min Bernardo Silva whacks Collins on the back of the leg with his right arm and is booked. That wasn’t a million miles from violent conduct.

Collins and another Brentford player ushered the ball out of play for a goalkick. Bernardo tried to challenge them, lost his balance and then swung his arm into Collins’ leg.

35 min Cherki and Semenyo have had quiet games so far, with most of City’s best attacks coming through O’Reilly and Doku on the left.

34 min Lewis-Potter is fine.

33 min Lewis-Potter needs treatment after being kneed in the head by the goalkeeper Kelleher, who leapt to claim a cross. Lewis-Potter looks okay, and the break gives both managers a chance to get out their metaphorical chalkboards.

29 min Bernardo Silva growls with frustration after blasting high and wide from the edge of the D. But City are having their best spell, and for the first time it feels like a goal is coming.

26 min Lovely movement from Haaland to get across Ajer and meet Semenyo’s cross with a header that is saved comfortably by Kelleher.

24 min City take a short corner on the left and work the ball infield to Reijnders. He blooters over the bar from distance.

22 min Thiago lobs the ball over the City defence to put the speedy Schade through on goal. He tries to cut across the last defender Nunes, who makes an awkward but crucial challenge just outside the area.

Nunes would have been off had he got that wrong.

20 min Doku’s flat cross is headed over from 10 yards by Haaland, whose first touch was almost a goal. That was a pretty good chance for a finisher of his ability.

19 min Doku and O’Reilly combine well on the left. O’Reilly’s cross is cleared as far as Bernardo Silva, whose outside-of-the-boot effort from 25 yards goes wide.

In other news, Erling Haaland has yet to touch the ball in this game.

17 min Kayode’s throw-in is half cleared to Jensen, whose deflected shot from distance is headed away. Brentford are the better team just now.

15 min Jensen whips in a dangerous ball that is spooned away by the diving Donnarumma. It was a cross rather than a shot, but Donnarumma had to wait to see whether anybody got a touch before he could commit to saving it.

14 min Hickey is fouled just outside the area on the left by Cherki. City look nervous, the Etihad is quiet and Rodri is having another great game.

13 min Lewis-Potter strolls to the halfway line and spins a terrific pass behind the City defence. Ake does excellently to get between the ball and Schade, who barges him over on the edge of the area.

Had Ake been less alert, both Schade and Igor Thiago would have been through on goal.

10 min The Kelleher save aside, Brentford will be pleased with their start. They’re having plenty of the ball and look a threat in attack.

8 min Kayode’s first long throw almost leads to the opening goal. Donnarumma comes and gets nowhere near the ball, which bounces around the six-yard box before Nunes lumps it clear.

6 min Brentford are playing with two men up, Schade and Igor Thiago. The midfield looks fairly narrow, with Damsgaard and Yarmoliuk tucking in from wide positions.

5 min “The inclusion of Kevin Schade in the Brentford starting lineup nicely sets up the type of freude that City’s detractors will feel, should the German winger bang home the winner/equaliser,” puns Peter Oh.

4 min Doku releases the underlapping O’Reilly, whose cutback from the byline is crucially cut out by Jensen. Kelleher had gone to meet O’Reilly was out of the game.

3 min: Good save by Kelleher Jeremy Doku almost picks up where he left off at Everton. He ran straight at Kayode, no messing around, and curled a low shot across goal that was pushed away by the diving Kelleher.

2 min Brentford have started with Keane Lewis-Potter at left-back with Aaron Hickey in the centre of midfield. Interesting.

1 min Brentford kick off from right to left as we watch. And why not?

“Haaland has 25 goals,” begins Zach Neeley. “Arsenal’s highest is Gyokeres at 14, and not because they score fewer goals (67 to 69). Which is better, the bulk scorer who you know will go out there and usually get something? Or the balanced team, where it can come from so many places?”

That would make for a great podcast discussion. The short answer: it’s complicated. (See Van Nistelrooy, Ruud.)

A reminder of the teams

Manchester City (4-2-3-1) Donnarumma; Nunes, Guehi, Ake, O’Reilly; Bernardo, Reijnders; Semenyo, Cherki, Doku; Haaland.

Subs: Trafford, Dias, Stones, Marmoush, Kovacic, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Savinho, Foden.

Brentford (4-2-3-1) Kelleher; Kayode, Ajer, Collins, Hickey; Yarmoliuk, Jensen; Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Schade; Thiago.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Van den Berg, Pinnock, Henderson, Dasilva, Nelson, Ouattara, Janelt, Furo.

Referee Michael Salisbury.

Keith Andrews’ pre-match thoughts

We’re very understanding of the magnitude of the game for them, but we’ve got our own agenda and we want to finish the season well.

This is as hard it gets. We need to play very, very well today to get something from the game.

Pep Guardiola’s pre-natch thoughts

Khusanov got a knock from Beto in a painful area. He’s not ready.

We’re into the last two weeks – let’s go for every game.

It’s nice to play at home. We’ll try to play a good game, then go to sleep!

Brentford still have a chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. If Aston Villa beat Freiburg in the Europa League final, the team that finishes sixth in the Premier League will qualify for the Champions League.

It’ll probably be between Bournemouth, Brighton and Brentford. Not since Bad Santa have the three Bs caused such excitement.

One of tonight’s subplots is the race for the Premier League golden boot. Erling Haaland leads the way with 25 goals; the only man with a chance of catching him is Brentford’s Igor Thiago.

Pre-match reading

In which Harry Paterson previews the last lap of an intriguing title race.