Pep Guardiola says Phil Foden is enjoying his best season at Manchester City after scoring a hat-trick to beat Brentford 3-1 on Monday to leave them just two points clear of the Premier League’s top three.

City move level with Arsenal on 49 points and two behind Liverpool, but Guardiola and his players have a game to go to top the table. The reigning champions became the first team in Premier League history to win four games in a row despite coming behind in each away game.

Neal Maupay fired the Bees before the game, but there was no doubt about the result when Foden equalized in first-half stoppage time. Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland led England to their second game in a row after the break. A man of wisdom,quot; Guardiola said after Foden scored his 14th goal of the season: “I think he’s having his best season since we’ve been together. The rate of goals and assists played from this key position is incredible.

Title Contenders City may be disappointed not to be at the top, with injuries to De Bruyne and Haaland in recent months, but they are on course to become the first team to win four British championships.

Mark Flekken

Inspired the Brentford goal keeper, statistically, he started the night as the worst goalkeeper in the Premier League in percentage of shots saved. But the Dutchman’s form was encouraging as he made nine saves in the first 45 minutes to upset the champions. Town threatened very little before giving Brentford the lead in the 21st minute as Town kept their only Premier League goal since October. Flekken grabbed the assist after his heroics after Ivan Toney denied Nathan Ake from the spot-kick and Maupay made it his fifth of the game to score. Haaland had a great chance to start two months after scoring his first goal, but he couldn’t beat Plecken when he was clean on the edge of the goal. In total, City had 17 shots in the first half, 10 on target and one in the final. Ethan Pinnock took De Bruyneand’s cross straight into the path of Foden, who controlled his chest and