Pep Guardiola acknowledged Brentford were worthy victors after Ivan Toney's double condemned Manchester City to a damaging Premier League defeat on Saturday. 

City approached their meeting with Brentford knowing a win would move them – at least temporarily – to the top of the table, but Toney added to his opener with a 98th-minute winner as the Bees clinched a shock victory.

The champions failed to build on Phil Foden's outstanding first-half equaliser despite subjecting Brentford to long spells of pressure, and Guardiola believes the result was a fair one.

"The best team won, the better team won," Guardiola told BT Sport. 

"We struggled a lot from the long balls, direct from [David] Raya up to the striker, and when they lost the ball, they were always behind the ball.

"We had problems up front and we didn't have our rhythm. We had more momentum, but when it was crosses, second balls... we struggled.

"It's difficult, in the small spaces, we need the quality and we struggled. But yeah, they were better, I accept it."

Toney's second strike came after 97 minutes and 16 seconds, making it the latest winning goal scored against City in the Premier League since Opta's exact goal times became available in 2006-07.

The result ended City's 20-match unbeaten run on home soil, but Guardiola does not feel the spectre of the World Cup affected his team's performance.

Asked whether his side played with caution ahead of the tournament, Guardiola said: "Who knows? I don't think so. 

"I think the problem was tactical, you saw how the guys ran and how they fought, it was more the long balls and second balls, we weren't able to do it.

"It's football, now there's a break for everyone. I congratulate Brentford. Hopefully the guys at the World Cup can enjoy it, and we'll come back."

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank struggled to find the words to describe Ivan Toney after he fired Brentford to a dramatic 2-1 win at Manchester City, declaring: 'what a striker!'

Toney was overlooked when Gareth Southgate named England's World Cup squad this week, but he responded in outstanding fashion by scoring twice in a famous win for the Bees. 

Having latched onto Josh Dasilva's cross to score a dramatic winner eight minutes into stoppage time, Toney has reached double figures for Premier League goals this season, scoring two or more goals in three separate games. 

Speaking to BT Sport after masterminding Brentford's victory, Frank hailed Toney's performance and praised his side for keeping City talisman Erling Haaland quiet.

"He's fantastic," Frank said of Toney. "I can't praise him enough. What I would say is the most important thing is how good a person he is, how emotionally intelligent he is around his team-mates.

"Then of course, what a player, what a striker! Scoring two goals, he should probably have had one more. Imagine having a hat-trick here at the Etihad, I thought that was only for Haaland!

"We spoke before the game about how to eliminate Haaland, but I think we did it perfectly. We tried to stop the sources into him, then when the ball came into the box, we defended it brilliantly."

Toney has now scored 22 Premier League goals for Brentford, more than double the tally recorded by any other player for the club (Yoane Wissa is second with 10). 

Having fired Brentford to their first win at City since 1937, Toney said he would not let his disappointment at missing the World Cup affect his displays.

"Listen, the only thing is to keep doing well, keep doing my best for the team and who knows what can happen," Toney said.

"I mean, obviously it's a disappointment but I know what I'm capable of, I won't let it put me down, I'll just keep going and keep doing well for Brentford.

"The motivation is the boys in the dressing room and the fans, as you can see. When you work hard, it's all you can do."

Ivan Toney responded to his failure to make England's World Cup squad by firing Brentford to a stunning 2-1 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, preventing the champions from going top of the Premier League.

Brentford went ahead after 16 minutes when Toney nodded beyond Ederson, but City levelled through Phil Foden's brilliant half-volley after pinning the visitors back.

However, Pep Guardiola's men struggled to break down the stubborn Bees in a stop-start second half, and Toney finished off a fine Brentford break by tapping home a dramatic winner in the eighth minute of stoppage time.

The result saw City sign off for the World Cup break in frustrating fashion, leaving them two points behind leaders Arsenal ahead of the Gunners' trip to Wolves later on Saturday. 

Jurgen Klopp has been suspended by the Football Association (FA) for one game with immediate effect, meaning he will be unable to be on the touchline for Liverpool's home match with Southampton.

Klopp was shown a red card for furiously charging towards assistant referee Gary Beswick and berating the official late in a 1-0 Premier League win for Liverpool against Manchester City at Anfield on October 16.

The Liverpool manager subsequently conceded that he "lost it", having also confronted referee Anthony Taylor.

Klopp was fined £30,000 by an independent regulatory commission but avoided a touchline ban.

However, the FA has successfully appealed that decision, and Liverpool's manager will have to watch on from the stands at Anfield on Saturday, in what is the Reds' final game before the World Cup break.

An FA statement read: "An independent Appeal Board has allowed The FA's appeal against an Independent Regulatory Commission's sanction in relation to the recent case involving Jurgen Klopp.

"As a result, the Liverpool FC manager has been suspended from the touchline for one match with immediate effect, fined £30,000, and warned as to his future conduct."

Liverpool got back to winning ways in the league by beating Tottenham on Sunday, before they edged past Derby County on penalties in the EFL Cup third round in midweek.

Southampton travel to Anfield with a new manager in place after appointing Nathan Jones as Ralph Hasenhuttl's successor.

Khadijah Shaw has expressed her delight at winning the Women’s Super League Player of the Month Award for the very first time.

The 24-year-old Manchester City and Jamaica striker was named Barclays WSL player for October after leading her team to victories over Leicester City, Tottenham and Liverpool, scoring five goals in those three matches.

Shaw’s seven goals this season make her the leading scorer in the WSL and has helped City climb to fourth in the league on 12 points after losing their first two games of the season.

“I am delighted to win this award for the first time. It has been a very successful month for us as a team and I am grateful to everyone who voted for me in a very talented shortlist of players,” said Shaw who played for Jamaica in their 1-0 win over Paraguay in an international friendly in Jamaica on Thursday.

“We are feeling so confident after these recent wins and I am enjoying my football right now personally, but the most important thing is results and helping the team to have as much success as possible.”

Shaw is in her second season with Manchester City after joining in 2021 from Bordeaux in France where she was the Golden Boot winner with 22 goals and seven assists.

Shaw will suit up for Jamaica again on Sunday when Jamaica plays Paraguay at the National Stadium in Kingston in the second of two international friendlies.

Pep Guardiola joked both he and Jurgen Klopp will need to play for Manchester City and Liverpool when the sides meet after the World Cup.

The Premier League rivals will meet for the third time this season, having faced off in the Community Shield and the top-flight already, with the Reds victorious on both occasions, when they play each other in the fourth round of the EFL Cup.

But their next encounter will come immediately in the shadow of Qatar 2022, with the tie set to take place only a handful of days after the World Cup final on December 18.

That has led Guardiola to suggest both managers may need to lace up their boots, while conceding he does not know how his team will look once the dust settles after the tournament.

"He's going to play at left-back," he quipped on Klopp in a press conference. "I'm going to play holding midfielder. [But] I don't know how many players we will have.

"If [their national teams] don't get through the group stages, then they will be able to play Liverpool. If not, then we will see. Players will come back, but I don't know in what condition [yet]."

Both City and Liverpool will see several key players head to Qatar with their respective nations, though a fleet of players will not be called up.

That includes those, such as Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah, whose countries have not qualified, while others like Roberto Firmino and Thiago Alcantara have not made the cut.

In the case of Haaland, Guardiola does not necessarily see the Norway international's break from action as a blessing in disguise, despite the striker's recent struggles with fitness.

"I'd prefer him to go to the World Cup," he added. "[But] unfortunately they didn't qualify. He'll recover hopefully perfectly from his injury. He'll be in Marbella or Norway, and will hopefully come back to train."

City play Brentford in the Premier League this weekend, in their final game before the mid-season break, but will be without Kyle Walker as he continues to recover from injury.

The defender was named in England's World Cup squad alongside club-mate Kalvin Phillips, who only returned to action himself in midweek, with Guardiola saying Gareth Southgate's call to take the duo to Qatar is backed by City.

"It's a decision from Gareth," he added. "One-hundred per cent, we support his decision. After Saturday, the players belong to their national team, not us. I'm not worried."

Joao Felix is angling for a way out of Atletico Madrid, having fallen out of favour in Spain.

The 22-year-old has started only eight of the 17 games he has played in this season, netting three goals.

The forward is contracted with Atletico until 2026, having signed a bumper seven-year deal when joining from Benfica in 2019.

TOP STORY – PSG PLOTTING JANUARY LOAN MOVE FOR JOAO FELIX

Paris Saint-Germain have joined the list of clubs interested in Atletico Madrid's wantaway forward Joao Felix, according to Le Parisien.

PSG may look to sign the Portuguese on loan in January, having been interested in a move for him during the last transfer window.

Joao Felix has also been linked with Bayern Munich and Manchester United, with both clubs reportedly bidding for him in the last transfer window.

ROUND-UP

– Borussia Dortmund are bullish they can ward off interest in their 19-year-old midfielder Jude Bellingham and retain his services, reports 90min. Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all keen on the England international.

– Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa may have penned a new contract last week, but Manchester United are still monitoring the 23-year-old, reports Nicolo Schira. United will keep an eye on him during the World Cup, although he has a €75million (£65m) release clause.

– Arsenal are willing to fork out £56m to land Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Mykhailo Mudryk, according to Dean Jones on GiveMeSport.

– Roma are interested in out-of-favour Barcelona full-back Hector Bellerin, having failed to lure Manchester United's Diogo Dalot, reports Calciomercato.

– West Ham have identified Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Kouadio Kone as their top transfer target, reports Bild.

EFL Cup holders Liverpool will go up against fellow Premier League giants Manchester City in the fourth round of the competition.

Liverpool needed penalties to get past League One side Derby County on Wednesday, while City have already seen off top-flight rivals in Chelsea thanks to a 2-0 win.

But the two were paired together in Thursday's draw, meaning there will be at least one major casualty in the fourth round, with games due to take place just a few days after the World Cup final.

Manchester United booked their place in the draw with a thrilling 4-2 win over Aston Villa on Thursday, and they will be confident of a more straightforward route through the next round after drawing Championship side Burnley, now managed by City great Vincent Kompany.

Gareth Southgate says it may have been perceived as "arrogant" to select Reece James for England at the World Cup with "too many unknowns" over his recovery from injury.

The Chelsea full-back was left out of England's 26-man squad for the World Cup, which starts on November 20 in Qatar, after being sidelined since October 11 with a knee issue.

James sustained the injury in a Champions League clash with Milan and, despite no initial concern, scans revealed damaged ligaments could keep him out for up to eight weeks.

The 22-year-old still hoped to make England's travelling party but Three Lions manager Southgate opted to leave the right-back out due to the unknown nature of his recovery.

"We had to make a very difficult call with Reece, who is a fantastic player," Southgate said.

"He was not going to be available – if everything went perfectly – until the latter stages of the tournament and there were too many unknowns for us on that road to recovery."

Kyle Walker was still selected despite not playing since limping off in Manchester City's derby-day victory over Manchester United on October 2.

Southgate suggested Walker has made more encouraging progression in his recovery as he claimed including James may not be looked upon favourably due to issues over his group-stage availability.

"I do not think we can take a player who is not available for the group stage, that would be deemed arrogant in some circles," the 52-year-old added.

"But if everything went well and he was available, we would be dropping him into a quarter-final after eight weeks out. That would be really demanding. So it was a tough call.

"Kyle is a long way ahead of that and is progressing really well."

England face Iran in their World Cup opener before Group B fixtures against the United States and Wales.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola heaped praise on England World Cup hopeful Jack Grealish after a "magnificent" display in Wednesday's 2-0 EFL Cup win over Chelsea.

Grealish is expected to be named in Gareth Southgate's 26-man World Cup squad on Thursday and offered a timely reminder of his quality against the Blues.

The 28-year-old midfielder forced Edouard Mendy into a couple of saves early in the second half and was full of confidence and energy in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden.

"Jack was magnificent," Guardiola told reporters. "He played really well. I want Jack to have responsibility when we play with Kevin or Phil.

"When he gets the ball and attacks the backline, his intention is always to pass the ball.

"All the time we tell him to go to score a goal. He has the body language to pass the ball, but tonight his body language was 'I am going to score a goal'. He didn’t score, but one day he will do it. Jack is playing really good."

The game marked Grealish's 13th start for the season, having only managed one goal in 16 appearances.

City teammate Kalvin Phillips, who returned from a shoulder injury as a 50th minute substitute, hailed Grealish.

"Jack has trained hard every single day," Phillips said. "He's not had the luck with scoring and assists, but I think he brings a lot more to the team than just that.

"When you see him play and he plays like that, it's a joy to watch."

Chelsea manager Graham Potter believes Wednesday's 2-0 EFL Cup loss to Manchester City was a "step forward" for the Blues despite suffering their third defeat from their past four games.

The Blues have only won two of their past seven games under Potter, who replaced Thomas Tuchel in September, amid a poor run of form.

Potter made seven changes to his starting line-up from the side that went down 1-0 to Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday but was enthused albeit disappointed by the defeat.

"I thought there were quite a few positives," Potter told reporters. "Obviously, we’re disappointed with the result but in terms of how we played, we created some good chances, there was a better structure and performance level.

"The team looked closer to what we want it to look like [compared to Arsenal]. The boys had great courage and they tried against a top team.

"Their goalkeeper got man of the match and I think that tells a little bit of the story. But overall, I think it was a step forward for us."

Potter's side go to third-placed Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday in their final game before the World Cup break. Chelsea are winless in four league games.

"We're concerned when we don’t get the results we want," Potter said. "Our performances have not been what we want either in the last couple of games. Tonight was a big step in terms of how we want to play, and we can get confidence from that.

"It’s a big game at Newcastle, 5.30 on the TV, it'll be a fantastic atmosphere. They’re doing really well, so it’ll be a tough game, but we have to try and go there and get the three points."

Potter was impressed with 18-year-old midfielder Lewis Hall, after the England youth international earned his second career start for the Blues.

Hall played 75 minutes and had a good chance saved by City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega late in the first half in an energetic display.

"I really enjoyed his performance," Potter said. "He took responsibility, took the ball in tight areas, attacked the box, and could’ve scored a couple of goals on another day.

"It was a really nice performance, a mature performance I thought. He is a quiet lad but goes about his work. I've been really impressed with him."

Kalvin Phillips is optimistic of earning a place in England's World Cup squad after making his return to action, but accepts "anything can happen" due to his lack of playing time.

The midfielder has endured an injury-plagued time of things since joining Manchester City from Leeds United in the close season, featuring in just four of his side's 21 matches.

However, after a two-month spell on the sidelines with a shoulder injury, Phillips made his comeback as a substitute in Wednesday's 2-0 EFL Cup third-round win over Chelsea.

That 40-minute cameo came on the eve of Gareth Southgate naming his 26-man squad for Qatar 2022, and Phillips is hoping he has done enough to have earned a place.

"Anything can happen. I'm optimistic but I know with the amount of game time I've had there's always a doubt," he told Sky Sports when asked if he believes he will be included.

"I think with my injuries I've not been playing 100 per cent because of my shoulder. Now it's sorted I can get back to what I was before. Hopefully it'll put me in good stead."

Phillips has yet to start a game since arriving in a £45million deal, with his appearance against Chelsea his first of any sort since facing Borussia Dortmund on September 14.

The 26-year-old, who has 23 caps for England, admits he felt nervous when replacing Rodrigo early in the second period at the Etihad Stadium.

"It's an amazing feeling. It's been a long time. I'm glad to get back out there and play with the lads," he said.

"But without playing for a while, it's nerve-racking stepping onto the pitch for one of my first appearances for the club. It felt good.

"[It's been] difficult. When I first found out I needed the operation everything went out the window. I didn't feel great about the situation. 

"But after a couple of days I always made sure I worked hard. I was always positive. I'm back fit now so hopefully have a chance.

"A couple of days after the operation my thought was to get back and do as much as I could to get fit. I did more sessions than I would have done to get my fitness back."

Man City host Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday in their final match ahead of the World Cup, which begins for England on November 21 with a clash against Iran.

Asked if he believes Phillips is ready to play a part in the tournament, City boss Pep Guardiola said: "There's a lot of days to go until the first game. He's ready."

Chelsea's disappointing run of form continued as they were eliminated from the EFL Cup by Manchester City at the third-round stage with a 2-0 loss on Wednesday.

Both sides made seven changes to their line-ups for the heavyweight tussle at the Etihad Stadium and it was Chelsea who looked the brighter during the first half.

But after Christian Pulisic and youngster Lewis Hall spurned promising chances, quick-fire goals early in the second half from Riyad Mahrez and Julian Alvarez put City in control.

City, who introduced Kalvin Phillips for his first appearance since mid-September, saw out the win to mean an early exit for last season's beaten finalists Chelsea.

City were restricted largely to shots from range in a first half edged by Chelsea, who would have been ahead at the interval if not for some good goalkeeping and poor finishing.

Pulisic scuffed a shot at Stefan Ortega from close range and had another effort from further back saved, while the lively Hall was denied at the end of a good run.

Jack Grealish forced Edouard Mendy into a couple of saves early in the second half, shortly after Phillips' introduction, and City's period on top resulted in the breakthrough goal.

Mahrez was fouled by Trevoh Chalobah just outside the box and sent the subsequent free-kick over the Chelsea wall – with Kalidou Koulibaly failing to jump – and past Mendy.

The hosts doubled their lead five minutes later through Alvarez, who tapped in after Mendy could only push Mahrez's shot into the path of the Argentina international.

Ortega produced another fine stop to deny Hall, while Pulisic had a late goal ruled out for offside, but Pep Guardiola felt no need to turn to substitutes Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland may struggle to score as many goals over the rest of the season as opponents figure him out, says former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.

The Norway international has enjoyed a blistering start to life at the Etihad Stadium, with 23 goals across all competitions since arriving from Borussia Dortmund.

That includes 18 in the Premier League alone, putting him firmly on course to smash the competition's record single-season tally of 34 with not even half the campaign gone.

But while Onuoha, who played for City between 2004 and 2012, thinks it likely he could rack up an all-time feat, he warns the Leeds-born attacker will likely face sterner opposition following the mid-season break.

"It's very possible," he told Stats Perform. "But I think it gets harder the more time that passes in terms of being in the league, because people know how you operate.

"They know they have to have get a better idea of how to stop you, because City with a six-foot four striker is a different look for most teams that played against them for the last six or seven years under [Pep] Guardiola.

"It's possible if he stays available and City stay dominant. But football is very difficult, especially in the second half of [a] season, where you start to run out of time.

"The moment you start running out of time, the desperation kicks in, and things which maybe would have been easier in the first half of the season [are] a bit more difficult."

Onuoha feels Haaland has shown he can cope with the pressure amid a lightning start, firing City into the thick of another title race, though the ex-defender also praised Arsenal amid their own surprise charge

"There's going to be so many more eyes on him because he [is] one of the biggest players in world football, not necessarily the Premier League," he added. "He's a talent who's going to bring eyeballs. He's been exceptional.

"But I have to give credit to Arsenal, I think Arsenal has been incredible. They've dropped five points up to this moment. And in those games, they've looked really good.

"It's very entertaining. Whatever we see now, there's no guarantee this is how it will finish. I think that's what makes it so special."

There is little point in scrapping the EFL Cup because UEFA and FIFA would just create another competition in its place, according to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.

City face Chelsea in the third round of the competition at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday and should they progress, their next game in the competition would be scheduled for the week commencing December 19.

That would cause selection headaches for many competing teams as the World Cup final takes place on December 18.

"If England decide to play this competition [the EFL Cup] then we play this competition because if we don't play the competition, UEFA and FIFA are going to create a new competition. That's for sure," Guardiola said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"They're not going to give us long weeks off. If you cut off this one then another one comes. So no official game [but] friendly games. And after three weeks, start another season.

"Every season is the same so that's why it's not any better. Just put it on the table but [I don't] pay much attention because the things where you cannot control. Why waste energy? Why?"

Several coaches, including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, have raised consistent concerns about the schedule in England, particularly with the World Cup starting in Qatar later this month.

Guardiola indicated he shares those frustrations, and aired his concerns about a "crazy World Cup" but conceded that complaints do not change anything.

"It is tougher. It is more intense," he said. "Since day one, I said many times, when I was in Barcelona and managing even maybe at Bayern Munich, I listened to the news in England and all the managers complained about the schedules, schedules, the schedules, and 'Why do you play on Saturday at 12 when we play on Wednesday in the Champions League, and the other countries can play on Friday to be more ready for the Champions League?'

"There were complaints but nothing changed. What is going to change? They have 18 teams [in the Bundesliga], we have 20 teams, and one World Cup in this schedule. A crazy World Cup and the players don't rest. I will rest but the players won't rest with the pressure and the tension to go to the World Cup.

"Against Brentford [on Saturday] the players will have one eye on the World Cup. So what happens if you have an injury against Brentford?

"But the schedule is the schedule, the calendar is the calendar. You have to adapt and nothing's going to change. I tell you my opinion.

"We're going to cancel [the EFL Cup]? No, so we have to do it, go and that's all. Nothing's going to change."