As the sun starts to set on a Premier League campaign like no other, Brentford have the small chance to achieve the unimaginable and become a club competing amongst Europe's best come sunrise.
The Bees' final test of the 2022/23 season is none other than the newly-crowned Champions of England, as they welcome Manchester City to the Gtech Community Stadium on Sunday, with the aim of securing European qualification for the first time in their 134-year existence.
At the start of the campaign, people tipped the west Londoners to come down with a case of the notorious 'Second Season Syndrome' and drop back down to the Championship. However, Thomas Frank has done the opposite and lead the club to their best top-flight finish since 1938.
Brentford's qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League falls upon result going their way on Sunday; requiring Brighton & Hove Albion to not lose to Aston Villa at Villa Park while Leeds United need to avoid defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. The most important part of the equation is doing what City's last 25 opponents have failed to do: come out victorious.
Pep Guardiola's side are on course to create history of their own, albeit on a much larger scale. After securing the Premier League title in style, having earned 44 points out of a possible 48 since losing to Tottenham in February, they have an FA Cup and UEFA Champions League final on the horizon.
With one eye on becoming just the second English club in history to secure the treble, following in the footsteps of their arch-rivals Manchester United, who achieved this in the 1998/99 season, the other will be on overcoming the only opponent they are yet to beat this season.
Teams have gone to the Etihad this season and struggled. Real Madrid lost 4-0, Arsenal were thrashed 4-1 in their title decider, Bayern Munich were handed a 3-0 defeat and Manchester United conceded six. However, to the surprise of most, Brentford strutted away from their trip to Manchester with a win - the only to do so this season.
Ivan Toney put on a display that will have had Gareth Southgate second guessing his decision to exclude him from England's World Cup squad, as the then 26-year-old dominated City's defence and scored twice in a 2-1 win, including a 98th-minute winner from a sensational counter-attack.
The club's chances of qualification is slim, but given how Brentford's season has gone, and some of the results they have been able to achieve, it's not as farfetched as it seems to consider it a real possibility.
Team News
Brentford
Thomas Frank has no new injury concerns ahead of their final game of the season.
Ivan Toney is the absentee in the headlines as he begins his eight-month suspension from football. He will be accompanied by the injured Christian Norgaard (achilles), Keane Lewis-Potter (hamstring) and Pontus Jansson (hamstring) on the sidelines.
Matthew Cox is the only recent absentee. The goalkeeper missed last weekend's win over Tottenham as he is in Argentina competing for England at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has confirmed there are no players that are 'definitely' ruled out of Sunday's fixture.
Nathan Ake's involvement is in question as he recovers from a thigh problem, and the club is taking every precaution ahead of the upcoming FA Cup and Champions League finals.
Jack Grealish, Manuel Akanji, Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte were deemed 'unfit' for Wednesday's trip to Brighton. However, they are expected to return as Guardiola's body language when he disclosed the information suggested the fitness concerns related more to the title celebrations than actual injuries.
With some sort of rotation anticipated for the trip to west London, Guardiola insisted in his pre-match press conference that he will select the strongest line-up possible with what is available to him.
Likely Line-ups
Brentford
Raya; Zanka, Pinnock, Mee; Roerslev, Damsgaard, Janelt, Jensen, Henry; Mbeumo, Wissa.
Manchester City
Ortega; Walker, Dias, Laporte; Lewis, Rodri, Silva; De Bruyne; Mahrez, Alvarez, Grealish.
Key Players
Brentford: Bryan Mbeumo
Prior to last weekend's 3-1 win over Tottenham, the talk of the town was about Ivan Toney's ban and how Brentford will contend without their talisman up front.
Throughout the campaign Toney has been the centre of attention, and rightfully so, scoring 21 goals in all competitions, which has lead to the performances of Mbeumo to go under the radar.
In the absence of his partner, the 23-year-old has thrived having scored five and registered one assist in the four league matches Toney has missed this season - including a two-goal Man of the Match display against Spurs.
The Cameroon international is having his best scoring season in the Premier League with nine to his name and has more assists (7) than any other Brentford player this season.
With a place in Europe potentially at stake, Mbeumo will aim to step up once again and make a lasting contribution to an already historic season for the club.
Manchester City: Julian Alvarez
He has had to contend with living in the shadows of Erling Haaland during his debut season in England, but Sunday will be another opportunity to showcase why he's one of the highly-rated South American prospects.
While he's not had the room to spread his wings at City like he does for the national team, having had an instrumental role as Argentina lifted the FIFA World Cup in December, scoring four and assisting one in seven appearances, including a brace in the semi-finals, the 23-year-old still boasts an impressive record.
The centre-forward has found the net 17 times and set up five in 47 appearances, a number which is inflated by frequent cameos off the bench, in all competitions this season. While it doesn't quite match up to Haaland's record-breaking tally, it shows that he is a valuable asset when called upon.
Whoever is in Brentford's defence come Sunday evening will need to maintain immense concentration throughout and have a constant eye on the forward. If they lose sight of him, even for a split second, he won't need a second invitation to punish them.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 16:30 (BST) on Sunday, 28 May 2023.
How can I watch?
This fixture is not being broadcasted in the United Kingdom.