Before Sunday, Manchester United were on a 143-match unbeaten run in the Premier League after leading at half-time. Thus, Bruno Fernandes’ teammates thought they had done the hardest part yesterday at the Etihad Stadium by opening the scoring via a missile from Marcus Rashford. It was without counting on Phil Foden. The player trained with the Skyblues first returned the favor to his partner with the Three Lions with a sublime strike into the top corner before giving his team the advantage by interfering in the opposing area to deceive Onana. The kind of capital performance that has become legion for the Stockport boy this season.
Less used last season after a slight air gap, Pep Guardiola often preferred Jack Grealish or Riyad Mahrez. However, following the departure of the Algerian and the decline in form of the former Aston Villa player, the player trained with the Skyblues has regained his place in the hierarchy of the club from the north of England. More confident, the versatile 23-year-old striker therefore strings together great performances and is always there when City needs him. And his current form is resplendent with seven goals in his last seven appearances. Overall, he is having a much better statistical season than the last: while he had 15 goals and 8 assists in 48 matches during the last vintage, Foden is already at 18 goals and 10 offerings for this new edition.
Guardiola thinks he is the best player in the world
Obviously, his incredible season is bound to be emulated on the other side of the Channel. Especially just a stone’s throw from Euro 2024 in Germany where the English know they have a chance to play. While he seemed better from season to season in the past, the one who is capable of playing on the right flank of the attack or behind the attacker with the same efficiency has passed a milestone this season. In the wake of a Kevin de Bruyne absent for a large part of the season and a slightly less killer Erling Haaland, Phil Foden is thus propelled to the status of third thief of this association of criminals which frightens Europe. Some even go much further to England. While the major performances during major events mark the spirits, the pocket attacker continues them this season.
And obviously, there is no shortage of praise in England where many consider him in the race for the best player in the world. While Gary Lineker, legendary Premier League scorer, made an unequivocal tweet to show the affection he has for his younger brother, Pep Guardiola even declared his love for the one he considers to be the best player in the world currently. “Winning matches is when you become a world-class playerrecalls the Catalan technician. Everyone can play well but you have to win games and he wins games. What can I say ? He loves football. He lives to play. There are people who like to play. He loves playing football. He will already be a legendary player because in a short time, the matches played, the minutes, the goals scored, the titles won and he is from home and that is why the connection with the supporters is incredible. He still scores goals, but now he scores goals to win matches. When you do this, you reach another level as a player. He’s the player of the season, with all respect to incredible players but no one has been as decisive for us as him this season.» With the big deadlines coming up for both Manchester City and England, we look forward to seeing Phil Foden at work for the rest of this 2023-2024 vintage which is definitely special for him.
