Pep Guardiola commended the togetherness of Manchester City’s dressing room for helping match-winner Erling Haaland play through the pain of bereavement.

Haaland was given the option of missing Saturday’s match against Brentford following the death of a close family friend, ‘Uncle’ Ivar Eggja, but the Norwegian chose to start and scored twice in City’s 2-1 win.

‘He said on Friday that he wanted to play,’ confirmed Guardiola. ‘Of course, it has been tough – he’s a human being – but in the dressing room, we try to look after each other and everyone here.

‘We were in touch about how he was feeling, and if he wasn’t ready, he would have come to me.

‘Sometimes, the best way to cope is to go out and do the job, and he has been doing it perfectly for many years.

‘You have to be strong. Maybe, for 90 minutes, you can forget your personal life when life gives you a punch in the face.’

Jack Grealish added his thoughts on Haaland’s second goal, in which he shrugged off Ethan Pinnock in a foot race before beating goalkeeper Mark Flekken: ‘The second showed what he is all about. He used his body well and finished brilliantly.’

After Yoane Wissa had scored for Brentford within 22 seconds, Haaland struck twice before half-time to take his season’s tally to nine goals in four matches. However, he was denied a third consecutive hat-trick by the woodwork.

‘He’s an incredible weapon, one-on-one. We have to take advantage of it,’ said Guardiola. ‘I would say this is the best he has been. I only look at the table seriously after ten or twelve matches, but it’s certainly better to have the points.’

Brentford could have been 3-0 up within the first 20 minutes, with Guardiola admitting, ‘They are very good, and we were fortunate to be 2-1 up. Everyone said afterwards that we suffered.’

‘Thomas Frank is one of the best managers. It’s only a matter of time before he moves to a bigger club. They will get a good manager.’

Frank, the last visiting manager to win at the Etihad in 2022, was proud of his team’s efforts to replicate that feat.

‘If City are the best team in the world, we were world-class for the opening 25 minutes,’ he said. ‘And if Kevin De Bruyne is running to the corner in the last few minutes, I have to be 50-50 – frustrated, but also extremely proud of what we have achieved.’