Manchester Evening News journalist Simon Bajkowski provides the expert view ahead of Brentford’s Premier League clash with Manchester City.

Manchester City are second in the Premier League going into this final round of fixtures before the World Cup in Qatar, two points behind leaders Arsenal. What have you made of their season so far?

On the whole, City have been very, very impressive. The big disappointment was losing to Liverpool at Anfield, because they felt that game was a great opportunity to win at a ground that they never win at.

But, other than that, they have picked up a lot of very good results. They also dropped points at Newcastle away, though that draw has looked more impressive the longer the season has gone on and Newcastle’s great form has continued.

City are where they would want to be in the league; Arsenal have been phenomenal and will take some shifting but, at the same time, I do not think there are many people who would bet against City being too strong for them over the course of the full season. If they are round and about top spot going into the World Cup, they will be delighted.

Erling Haaland has scored a staggering 23 goals in 17 games in all competitions already this season. Did you expect him to be this good?

We knew City were getting a goalscoring talent, but no, absolutely not. He is similar to Pep Guardiola in the sense that Guardiola arrived with an amazing CV and everyone said that was great, but this is English football and the toughest league in the World Cup. Haaland has made any doubters look very, very silly.

He is just out of this world and I do not think I have seen a striker like him in the Premier League before. His work on the ball is tremendous, but it is also his work off the ball, with the way he terrorises defenders simply by being there, which has helped his team-mates as well. He has added a lot more than even people at City were expecting him to add.

What are City’s plans for the World Cup break that follows Saturday’s game?

Most of City’s players will be at the World Cup, with Haaland, Riyad Mahrez and Sergio Gomez the only first team players who will not be.

They will have ten days off, then they will return to training with the youth team players and they plan to have a training camp, probably in Abu Dhabi.

It will not be very high intensity, however, because all of the other players will be at the World Cup, so it will be a case of waiting for players to return from Qatar as and when.

Aside from Haaland, of course, which player should Brentford fans keep an eye on?

It sounds obvious, but Kevin De Bruyne has been very good this season.

City are playing more direct and more vertically, I would say, through the middle, with Haaland, and that helps De Bruyne because he can play those balls beyond defenders that no one else can see straight into Haaland.

The Belgian superstar is already into double figures for assists this season and has just taken very well to having a clinical finisher on the end of all of his deliveries.

How is Pep Guardiola likely to set up his side at the Etihad?

They have been playing their nominal 4-3-3, with Joao Cancelo and then usually three centre-backs across the back four. Rodri, De Bruyne and probably Bernardo Silva take up the middle positions, and then the front three.

The trio that has probably been the most effective this season has been Haaland, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish. Julian Alvarez is a wildcard option because he did very well in the Champions League recently.

City won both meetings last year, though Brentford did not disgrace themselves whatsoever in either. What’s your score prediction for this one?

I think it will be tight again. I really like what Brentford have done again this season. I will go for 2-0 to City.