Featured Image Credit: BT Sport
Topics: Brentford, Manchester City, Premier League
Jack Kenmare
Brentford forward Ivan Toney let his feet do the talking on Saturday with two goals against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City.
The 26-year-old forward, who has netted 10 goals in the league this season, was left out of Gareth Southgate's 26-man England squad on Thursday ahead of this winter's World Cup in Qatar.
Newcastle forward Callum Wilson was handed a place ahead of Toney, but that certainly didn't affect the in-form striker on Saturday afternoon.
Toney opened the scoring for Brentford in the 16th minute with a perfectly-cushioned header. He proceeded to celebrate by holding two fingers to his ears – a possible message to the doubters.
Phil Foden, who was included in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad, equalised for City with a spectacular half-volley.
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But in the 97th minute, Toney cooly slotted past goalkeeper Ederson to complete his brace after Thomas Frank's side exposed their opponents on the counter attack.
A penny for Gareth Southgate's thoughts?
Toney is currently the subject of an inquiry into match-betting over historical claims which relate to a period before he joined Brentford, according to The Sun.
In a statement, the 26-year-old said he had been "assisting the Football Association with their enquiries" but would not be making any further comment until the investigation had "reached its conclusion".
"I am a proud Englishman and it has always been my childhood dream to play for my country at a World Cup finals," he wrote on Twitter.
Gareth Southgate went on to deny that Toney's exclusion from this winter's World Cup squad was related to the FA investigation.
“I’ve not had that conversation because he wasn’t in our squad,” the 52-year-old told reporters on Thursday.
“For us, September was a good opportunity to have a look at Ivan on the training pitch, to learn a bit more about him, for him to see how we work.
"We knew and had discussed with him it was a long shot to be involved at this time in a World Cup.
"We’ve tracked all the players since. We think Callum’s just in that really rich vein of form and has been with us a little bit more, been on the pitch with us, we know him a little bit better.”