Is there an elephant in the room at Manchester City? | OneFootball

At his best and when in full flight, Phil Foden is without a doubt one of the most important players that Manchester City have. After a difficult 2024/25 season, Foden looked to have returned to his best at the beginning of this season. A move into midfield had seemingly brought the best out of the England international. Foden was crucial to Manchester City’s play, and the responsibility of playing in midfield seemed to suit him.

Over the past month, Foden’s form has dipped severely. Is that simply due to fatigue, or is it that Foden’s best is brilliant, but when he isn’t at his best, he can be reduced to a passenger in a match? Time may reveal the answer to that question.

Manchester City needed Foden at his best against Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt but he was nowhere near it.

Foden, like so many of his teammates, was well below his best against Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt. Manchester City needed Foden to dictate both matches with his play but he failed to do so. He wasn’t alone in that boat. Foden looked devoid of confidence in Manchester City’s derby defeat at Old Trafford. He didn’t seem willing to get on the ball and take the game by the scruff of the neck. He is more than capable of doing so but it didn’t happen for Foden against Manchester United. Foden was marginally better against Bodø/Glimt in Manchester City’s 3-1 defeat. He tried to get into the game at the Aspmyra Stadion and influence proceedings. But like his team, it wasn’t his night.

Phil Foden’s past two performances have seemingly followed a trend. His performances have dipped below his usual high standards. You could make a case that Foden’s most influential performance for some time came in Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in mid-December. Since then, Foden hasn’t gotten near that level of performance. He played well in Manchester City’s 1-all draw with Brighton, but outside of that Foden has struggled.

When Foden is at his best, he is one of the best players in the Premier League and European football. His resume as a player tells you that, as do your eyes. His talent is undoubted. Recently, Foden has either been brilliant or well below his best. The gap between Foden’s best and when he isn’t is far too great. That gap needs to be bridged, you sense, for Foden to become the player he has always seemed destined to become.

Manchester City need Foden firing. That has stood out over the past month. How they get him firing is the question.

Hopefully it is simply fatigue and a rest could do Foden the world of good.

In Phil Foden’s defence, he looks to be struggling with fatigue. He has carried a heavy workload this season as Pep Guardiola has tended to rely on the same group of players ever since Manchester City’s disappointing defeat to Bayer Leverkusen at the end of November. Perhaps Foden has been pushed too far and he needs a rest. The same can be said for Erling Haaland in this regard. Maybe a rest this weekend against Wolves could be exactly what Foden needs to snap out of his form slump. Hopefully that is the case.

The alternative to this notion is perhaps that Foden is a player who will dazzle and dominate when at his best, and spend games on the periphery of proceedings when he isn’t. Hopefully, that isn’t the case, as Foden is far too talented to be stuck with that label. Whatever the case, Manchester City need Phil Foden impacting matches as he can turn games in an instant. He is crucial to Manchester City’s play and is a bonafide match-winner when he’s up and about.

Hopefully, an opportunity to rest can do Foden the world of good, and he can snap out of his funk and help his team do the same. That would be the ideal scenario for Foden and Manchester City, as the alternative may paint a different picture.