It was only a few months ago that Phil Foden was so worn out physically and mentally that he asked not to be selected by England. Now he is putting his hand up to play games that he wouldn’t normally be considered for. The fire within him that almost burned out is raging again and he has rekindled Manchester City’s fortunes, fuelling their impressive return to form from their worst start to a season in 20 years.
With Foden pulling the strings in a new-look No. 10 role, City have won four of their last five games to make a statement in all competitions, totting up an aggregate score of 13-2. This resurgent City will be looking to consolidate their upturn in results in the lavish surroundings of Monaco on Wednesday, with Foden looking like their shiniest asset once more.
Foden has directly contributed to four goals in those five matches, scoring against Manchester United and Huddersfield Town while assisting against the League One side and in the Champions League win over Napoli. He has indirectly contributed to far more. His silky footwork unzipped United’s defence, allowing Jeremy Doku to feed Erling Haaland to do the rest and double the advantage Foden’s headed goal had given them.
He did not get on the scoresheet in the recent drubbing of Burnley but he may as well have done. His eagerness to pounce on a rebound forced Maxime Esteve to put the ball through his own net. Foden then provided the ball to Matheus Nunes which led to Esteve scoring a second own goal. He had also played his part in the move leading to Nunes scoring on the volley.
Getty Images SportDesperate to play
Foden's lively display against Burnley had come three days after a virtuoso performance in the Carabao Cup at Huddersfield, scoring the first goal and assisting the second for Savinho.
That Foden should have dominated a League One side was no great shock. The bigger surprise was that he was in the starting line-up at all. Pep Guardiola had made nine changes from the team that had battled to a 1-1 draw at Arsenal but Foden had no intention of resting.
Guardiola explained: "Phil had responsibility when he was 17 and started to train with us. The biggest example was Arsenal when everyone was exhausted and tired because we ran a lot and parked the bus and so on. In that moment Phil said, 'I want to play again.'
"It's what happened when he arrived at 17 and wanted to play every day because he was happy. All of us know what Phil can do, just let him play and enjoy football. His physical condition is outstanding, in his mind he is ready and he can play every three days with high intensity."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportDoing something unique
Foden's rebirth has a lot to do with the role he has been playing recently, as City’s most advanced central player aside from Haaland. When Kevin De Bruyne’s departure was announced last season, a discussion over who should be his successor began immediately. Florian Wirtz and Morgan Gibbs-White were regarded as the top candidates, although in the end they went for Rayan Cherki.
The fact that Foden had not been mentioned as a successor felt like a show of disrespect. After all, some of his best performances in his incredible 2023-24 season had come while filling in for the injured De Bruyne. As it turned out, Cherki got injured in only his second Premier League game so Foden took up the baton and he has barely stopped running with it.
Guardiola could not be happier with him. "Close to the box I think he plays in the pockets perfectly," the coach said at Huddersfield. "When he plays a little bit free and close to the box, he can do something that is unique, we know that. When Phil plays in that position behind the strikers, he’s a real threat."
Getty Being happy again
There is another reason why Foden is playing well. He is smiling again. "We enjoy the happiness in his face," Guardiola said after the midfielder’s starring role in the derby. He was not the only one pleased to see Foden looking like his old self.
Speaking to alongside Foden after the derby, Haaland pointed at his team-mate and said to the camera: "We have to keep this guy going because we need him so much. This is the Phil we need. All of Man City are waiting for this and we are all going to help him."
Haaland, who has been a big beneficiary of Foden’s bright form, was referencing the way Foden had finished the previous season, when he opened up on his struggles off the pitch and called for a break. "I’ve had a lot of things going on off the pitch mentally," he said in May.
"It’s one of them – sometimes there’s things in life that are bigger than football. This season I’ve struggled a little bit. Hopefully come next year I can get my head mentally right and get back where I left off because I know what I’m capable of doing and the quality I have. I know if everything was OK I’d definitely be better on the field."
Getty Images SportStruggles with criticism
Foden, as is his right, did not go into the details of what had been eating away at him. We do know that he had suffered two separate illnesses during the season. The first kept him out for a month, the second, a bout of bronchitis, disrupted his flow in December.
His incredible form the previous campaign, which saw him sweep all the major individual awards including the PFA Player of the year, was somewhat tainted by his underwhelming displays for England at Euro 2024, despite reaching the final. The scrutiny of an entire nation at that time, or from City fans and the media during their unprecedented slide in results last year, could not have been easy.
Jeremy Doku gave an insight into how Foden struggles to cope amid unrelenting waves of criticism. The City winger explained after the derby: "Phil is a lovely guy. I know sometimes he struggles when people criticise him. Football is not easy and he showed again that talent-wise you cannot say a word about him."
