Manchester City closed the gap at the top of the Premier League with a win over Brentford - but manager Pep Guardiola wasn't in the best mood throughout the 90 minutes

With the visitors being humble Brentford, a Tunnel Club ticket for this Manchester City fixture probably set you back only two or three hundred notes. Whether or not you got value for money depends what you came to the stadium for.

If it was for exhilarating, fast-paced, muscular football, then you were distinctly short-changed. If it was to get a close-up of Pep Guardiola at his frenetic peak, then it was cash spent wisely.

True, Guardiola always looks like a manager on the brink, always looks as though he might be on the brink of hysterical tears, such is his will to win. And it is not as though he has been unable to cope with the pressure, with the expectation that weighs so heavily on his brilliant teams.

But as Arsenal get back into their impressive stride and Liverpool maintain a steady title gallop, the heat is on Guardiola, make no mistake. And if you were in the Tunnel Club on Tuesday night, you could tell.

You could tell by the way Guardiola gave Oscar Bobb a thorough talking-to as the teams were emerging for the second half. You could tell by the way he pleaded with the crowd to calm down when frustration at City's laborious build-ups began to boil over.

Pep Guardiola likes to talk to his Man City players throughout games ( Image:

Guardiola says there is only the most remote chance of his side repeating the treble but that does not mean he is not desperate to do exactly that.

And that is why he puts such intense pressure on himself... as those who were in the posh seats for this match now know only too well.