Rayan Cherki (left) wheels away after scoring a brilliant curled opener for Manchester City.Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters
Pep Guardiola cites how his team must grow during the season and with each outing of this campaign Manchester City suggest greater control and composure.
This manifested in a professional victory that sweeps the former four-in-a-row competition victors into the semi-final.
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A sparkling Rayan Cherki scored first for City, before the break, then Savinho followed, his 67th-minute finish only a second struck by the inconsistent 21-year-old.
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Guardiola apologised for stating Saturday’s Premier League visit of West Ham is the priority, then oversaw a suffocation of Brentford that allowed Keith Andrews’ unit scant chance to damage City.
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When Phil Foden – himself an early replacement – was substituted on 82 minutes Charlie Gray enjoyed a priceless moment: before the 19-year-old came on he was given a Guardiola bearhug to mark his debut.
He took up an advanced midfield zone and was soon easily linking play: it was this kind of night from start to finish for City.
A City featuring only Nico González, Nico O’Reilly, Tijjani Reijnders and Cherki from Sunday’s win at Crystal Palace fired salvos from Cherki and Oscar Bobb before calamity struck the latter.
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The Norwegian youngster was forced off on 18 minutes to be replaced by Foden who, as he adores doing, flitted about in pockets in front of Andrews’ back five. City’s big gun had entered just after James Trafford beat away a Mathias Jensen free-kick, claimed when Abdukodir Khusanov brought down Kevin Schade as the No 9 ran away from him.
The centre-back was booked by Sam Barrott meaning, already, he had to be wary. So, too, did Brentford when Cherki received the ball from González in a central area, and warmed Hakon Valdimarsson’s fingers from long range, the goalkeeper conceding a corner.
A more direct ploy that presaged the opener came via a Savinho thrust. The Brazilian burned down his left wing, popped the ball over, a corner was claimed, and Cherki scored. Divine Mukasa swung the kick in from the right, the ball came to the Frenchman on the D and, after dummying an onrushing Mikkel Damsgaard, a rocket was launched into the top-right corner that removed Valdimarsson as a factor.
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Joy for Guardiola who turned to the bench to share the emotion. City continued to camp in the visitors’ territory except for sporadic moments of weakness that heartened Brentford. These were down either flank where Guardiola’s unit is too often vulnerable, and when Damsgaard slipped Vitaly Janelt in through an inside-right lane, a scramble in City’s area ended with Rico Lewis cleaning up, just as he had previously along Brentford’s left.
Andrews drilled his men to close in on City high up for the obvious reason beyond attempting to nick possession: the nearer the game was played to the hosts’ goal the further away it was from theirs. But City are masters of escaping any press, anywhere on the field, and so a period contested in the downpour ended with them doing so again, more than once.
A scan of Guardiola’s XI had suggested Nathan Aké as the “father figure” he declared would be included to avoid the error of the Bayer Leverkusen defeat when 10 changes were made and City lost, 2-0. The 30-year-old had started in that Champions League loss but as a treble-winner was the senior player sent out to face the Bees, as signified by him being named City captain for the evening. And, by half-time, there could be no arguments regarding the manager’s selection.
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Keep-ball is a central tenet of Guardiola-ball so he will have been delighted seeing his side do so. In separate phases those in sky blue moved upfield in waves.
One culminated in a Savinho burst and a shout (turned down) from the Brazilian for a penalty when Kristoffer Ajer challenged him. Another featured an O’Reilly shot that was easy for Valdimarsson to gather; another a foray into the area from Savinho, now operating on the right.
How might Brentford respond? A dipping Janelt effort from range that Trafford flew to his right to save was a first answer. A Schade dart down the middle, which Khusanov this time stymied masterfully, the second.
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Just as accomplished was a slick Foden chestdown and snapshot, which bounced off the turf. Valdimarsson’s reflexes were equal to it. Guardiola then made a triple change – Josko Gvardiol for O’Reilly, Bernardo Silva for Cherki, and Matheus Nunes for González – but it was a player who remained, Savinho, who doubled the lead: released down the left he jetted in on goal and beat Valdimarsson with a deflected finish that chipped the keeper.
City’s near-stranglehold remained until the end.