Manchester City vs Brentford: Premier League – BBC Sport

As the game ticked into injury time, Haaland was confirmed as the club man of the match.

He has now taken his overall tally for City to 99 in 103 appearances. His Premier League ratio is more than one a game.

To put that into context, legendary striker Sergio Aguero took 390 games to score his club record 260 for the club. At the current rate, Haaland will overhaul the Argentine within three seasons.

And the secondary point is he scores goals from nothing, which, on days like these, is absolutely priceless.

New arrival Savinho looks a major threat. But despite getting himself into a couple of excellent positions, he could not convert.

It has been said Haaland doesn’t contribute to City’s overall game and sometimes restricts their fluidity. But he also ensures they win matches when they might drop points, as they almost certainly would have on this occasion had he not made his personal intervention.

It wasn’t just about Haaland. There was also evidence of Jack Grealish’s return to form with a smart effort that required a full-length low save from Flekken. A week out from a meeting with old rivals Arsenal, Rodri made his seasonal bow as a second-half substitute, although Phil Foden remained on the bench.

But Haaland took the accolades, which, given the personal sadness he has had to deal with this week, seemed fitting.