Those new defenders cannot come soon enough for Pep Guardiola. The transition is on, Guardiola and his bosses deciding in unison that it cannot wait any longer.
Three new signings are close – something unheard of in January at a club vying for the Premier League’s top spots – and Guardiola is offering clues as to who out of the existing crop he is dragging along with him for the ride.
No Kyle Walker, the captain, with the travelling party and we all know why. No Ederson – again. Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish on the bench – again. Ilkay Gundogan still in the cold. They’ve started a collective three league matches since the catastrophe against Manchester United four weeks ago.
These are not coincidences. Messages, signals. And there seemed life in those trusted but City blew a two-goal lead down in London, Christian Norgaard heading in past Stefan Ortega in the second minute of stoppage time.
Two daft Brentford goals in the final eight minutes. The goalkeeper limp for the second, defenders nowhere for Yoane Wissa’s first.
Over in Germany, Omar Marmoush was lining up for Eintracht Frankfurt at exactly the same time as City kicked off, later scoring.
Christian Norgaard headed home in the 92nd minute to earn his side a huge point against City
Phil Foden scored twice after a hat-trick in the same fixture last term but it was not enough
Pep Guardiola and his bosses have decided in unison that the transition can wait no longer
Txiki Begiristain remains in negotiations with his counterpart Markus Krosche over the finances. Sources indicated earlier this week that talks have been broadly positive, with Frankfurt expecting to recoup around £67million.
Watching Matheus Nunes gallivant forward from right back – clean through with almost too much time on his hands – and then dithering to such a degree that Brentford nicked possession back inside their own box suggested that City are right to search for more killer instinct.
The man who owns their majority, Erling Haaland, could not stretch quite far enough to bullet in an exquisite left-footed De Bruyne cross, agonisingly shaping its way out of Mark Flekken’s reach.
City know they need more firepower to help Haaland out, although the Norwegian later had Guardiola exasperated when taking a De Bruyne pass on too early.
De Bruyne then very nearly cleared the stand in attempting to curl home a loose ball. Things could be better in that department.
But then they are also fully aware that, while scoring goals has not come as freely this year, defensive reinforcements are significantly more imperative.
Their back four were jittery, unsure when to engage against a Thomas Frank system that delivers its fair share of blows in this stadium.
Josko Gvardiol jockeyed all the way back to Kew Bridge in allowing Bryan Mbeumo to force Ortega into tipping wide. Manuel Akanji watched Wissa’s wobbly legs scoop into the stand; Keane Lewis-Potter cut back when he ought to have shot.
While City were taking on Brentford Omar Marmoush was scoring once more against Freiburg
There are defensive recruits coming for City in Abdukodir Khusanov (pictured) and Vitor Reis
It was a thoroughly enjoyable game for the neutral with end-to-end action throughout
New recruits are coming in that area of the pitch: two centre backs. At £33m, Abdukodir Khusanov of Lens. And teenager Vitor Reis from Palmeiras for £29.4m.
There is the potential for both to do jobs at full back, which may lighten the load on tired legs – especially given Walker’s impending departure while also contending with injuries to Ruben Dias and John Stones.
A failure to attack Lewis-Potter’s free kick presented a free header in the direction of Nathan Collins, flicked beyond the post, while Savinho – keeping Doku and Grealish out – stormed clear and thundered a post.
City have always found this pocket of west London a tricky manoeuvre and, largely, were appearing more composed on the ball than in previous weeks. Haaland, somehow, only planted a free header down Flekken’s throat.
Even after surprisingly losing their last three at home, Brentford fancied something though. Gvardiol last ditch on Wissa; Mikkel Damsgaard thought he’d rattled in an opener, only to be called offside.
The shots kept coming on a night when 26 had been registered on the hour. A back and forth, blow for blow. Something Frank will have loved; something Guardiola knows would never happen were City anywhere close to their controlling best.
The quality of Foden’s goal spoke to how good these attackers can still be. Savinho, a menace all evening, sauntered and found De Bruyne wide right. One touch, curl, Foden between centre halves, a deft guide to the far post. Poetry.
Foden notched a hat-trick here last February and this signified goals in consecutive starts for the first time since April. Having him properly back would be a huge bonus.
Foden’s first strike in particular was a thing of beauty deftly converting a Kevin de Bruyne ball
The forward has struggled for form but put his side two up on a night of wasteful finishing
Yoane Wissa plundered from some poor defending in the box to kickstart the Bees’ comeback
Norgaard’s header came in stoppage time but Stefan Ortega ought to have done better
That was their moment, when it all came together, yet City’s openness still yawns. Carved to bits once more, Mbeumo at the byline for Wissa. Six yards out, Nathan Ake threw himself at the effort to prevent a certain equaliser.
It should have given a platform to make these points safe, a third win on the spin, with Foden shrugging his shoulders claiming it after converging on a loose ball with De Bruyne.
But Brentford rallied. Wissa nudged past Ortega from Mads Roerslev’s centre with eight minutes left and there was a sense of more to come.
Norgaard towered from a late cross, Ortega failed to keep it out and looked too weak.
