Ivan Toney and Neal Maupay take advantage of lesser-known rule to put Brentford ahead in 3-1 defeat by Man City

• Neal Maupay put Brentford 1-0 up before they ultimately lost 3-1 to Man City 
• The Frenchman’s goal came after his side took advantage of a lesser-known rule
• IAN LADYMAN picks his top five Premier League centre backs of all time – It’s All Kicking Off podcast 

Neal Maupay opened the scoring in Brentford’s 3-1 defeat by Man City in bizarre fashion after Ivan Toney took advantage of lesser-known rule.

A stunning Phil Foden hat-trick ultimately condemned the Bees to a loss, but for 24 minutes in the match they were ahead after Maupay’s 21st minute goal.

As Brentford keeper Mark Flekken launched a goal kick towards the halfway line, Toney came back from an offside position.

The striker held off Nathan Ake but didn’t touch the ball, and it ran beyond the Dutchman.

Maupay – who was the furthest man forward – picked up the loose ball and finished coolly past Ederson in the City net as Pep Guardiola’s side protested to the officials that both he and Toney were offside.

However, thanks to a loophole in the laws, the goal was allowed, with players unable to be offside from a goal kick.

As a result, both Toney’s role in the goal from an offside position, and Maupay’s position ahead of his strike partner when he took the ball, are perfectly legal in the game.

If Toney had touched the ball, Maupay would have been offside, but despite interfering in the play, he faced no repercussions.

Sky Sports commentator Seb Hutchinson pointed out the situation at the time as he said: ‘I think some of the City players had to be explained that rule as well. 

‘If Toney had touched it, it would have been offside. But he left it.’

To add insult to injury, Guardiola missed the goal, with replays showing the Spaniard was talking to his coaching staff while facing away from the action when Flekken pumped the ball long.

However, he will be delighted with how his side held their own and bounced back to pick up a crucial three points against a team who did the double over them last season.

City now sit just two points behind Liverpool with a game in hand as they look to become the first side in Premier League history to win four titles in a row.