Pep Guardiola criticises Phil Foden’s Crystal Palace display in worrying message to Thomas Tuchel | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was not pleased with Phil Foden’s overall performance in Sunday’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Foden was on the scoresheet for the Blues as Pep Guardiola and co maintained the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal with a hard-fought yet convincing triumph in south London to round off a demanding week.

Off the back of a monumental UEFA Champions League comeback win against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, Guardiola made just one change to his starting XI as City were put to the test against a well-drilled Crystal Palace side who could and arguably should have scored at least a few against Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The scoreline from Selhurst Park far from reflected the story of the encounter, as Manchester City failed to contain the Eagles’ attacking threat for large periods, though the Blues dug in and made their chances count to remind the rest of the division why they have been so successful under Guardiola over the years.

City made a sluggish start to the 2025-26 Premier League campaign and entered the September international break in the bottom half of the table courtesy of losses to Tottenham and Brighton in their opening trio of league games.

The Blues have since turned a corner and earned a mention as title contenders, with Phil Foden’s resurgence at the heart of their turn in fortunes as the 25-year-old looks back to his best after a difficult year on and off the pitch owing to physical and mental issues.

Foden has been a regular feature in Manchester City’s starting XI since September and has bailed his boyhood club out of jail with a series of crucial, match-winning performances in recent weeks, including a last-minute winner over Leeds United and a brace away at Fulham.

The England international was again on the scoresheet on Sunday, scoring City’s second in exquisite Phil Foden fashion, taking his tally to six goals in four Premier League games, though Guardiola was far from pleased with the Stockport-born forward’s overall game.

“Today he didn’t do a good game, he didn’t play good. He lost a lot of balls, so in a rush in every action. Phil has to be more tempo, more calm, keep the ball, pass – and in the right moment, change gear. In the right moment, make the explosion,” Guardiola said in a post-match interview with BBC Match of the Day.

“But at the end, we say it many times, he’s so young. At the end, he has margin to improve, he listens, and saying that he’s been doing an incredible, terrific season.”

Foden has returned to his best self, the kind of form that spearheaded Manchester City’s fourth consecutive Premier League title win in the 2023-24 season and earned the Englishman the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.“Phil Foden – in terms of work ethic, defensively, how he presses, how he comes back – he’s invaluable. It’s incredible; close to the box, he’s unbelievable,” Guardiola added on Foden in his post-match press conference at Selhurst Park.

On whether there is still more to come from Foden as the season progresses, Guardiola said: “Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely! He has a lot of margin to understand the game. He will not improve his incredible quality, because he’s top, top.

“But understanding the game, the way you have to be in certain moments, the way you have to play, and the way you have to accelerate or sometimes decelerate the game, just the timing and tempo – of course, everyone has margin to improve, everyone!”

Guardiola is a perfectionist and Foden will pay heed to his manager’s comments, though the Manchester City academy graduate will have been delighted to leave Selhurst Park with another goal, especially with England boss Thomas Tuchel in attendance.