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Thomas Frank tells Erik Ten Hag and Simone Inzaghi how to beat Man City.
Thomas Frank, the head coach of Brentford, has revealed how his team defeated Manchester City.
The Bees completed the double over Pep Guardiola’s team by defeating the Premier League winners 1-0 on the last day of the season.
Brentford won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in November thanks to a brace from Ivan Toney, while the game on Sunday was decided by a goal from Ethan Pinnock.
In his post-game news conference, Guardiola praised Frank and Brentford for their ability at set pieces.
“Last season, we won twice against Brentford…today we lost 1-0. They are so difficult to break down. They are an incredible and top side in both sides – the high pressing, defending deep, the solidarity they have, the transitions are fast,” he said.
“[Goalkeeper David] Raya’s like a holding midfielder, he does whatever he wants.”
Guardiola added: “[Brentford] are the best team by far [at set pieces]. But it’s not just in that concept. It’s an exceptional team. I have a lot of admiration for Thomas Frank and what he’s been doing for many years. He’s getting better. You have the feeling he has the unity of this club.”
The FA Cup final between Man City and Manchester United and the Champions League final versus Inter will now serve as the team’s last two matches of the season
Frank was asked in his own news conference what tips he would provide to Inter’s Simone Inzaghi and Man Utd manager Erik ten Hag on how to defeat this dangerous Man City team.
“That’s a really good question. You’ve thought about that, that’s really good!” Frank laughed.
“I think we top-performed in two games. It is very clear this is the best offensive team in the world so you need to defend very well. We managed to defend very well but not only in the low block, I think you could see today we were brave with high pressure throughout the game. I think that’s a big thing. I think if you only defend with a low block, you will struggle.
“That braveness, which I love about my team, I love that. Set pieces are also pretty important.”