Manchester City cut gap at top as Phil Foden hat-trick leads rally at Brentford

It had been billed as Erling Haaland’s grand comeback to the Manchester City starting XI. Perhaps there could be a shootout with Ivan Toney, the Brentford striker, who is also ­re-establishing himself after rather longer on the sidelines in the wake of his betting ban.

For a while, there was the ­glimmer that Neal Maupay could upstage them both when he gave Brentford a shock lead midway through a first half made memorable by the ­defiance of Mark Flekken in the home goal. But by the end, it was all about another attacker whose talent can seem utterly irresistible on nights like these. Continue reading...