“Still a lot to improve” – Phil Foden offers honest assessment on Manchester City’s season start | OneFootball

Manchester City’s Phil Foden has offered an honest assessment on the club’s start to the ongoing and brand new campaign off the back of last season’s difficulties.

After enduring a turbulent 2024/25 term that saw the club finish without a major trophy and outside the top two in the Premier League, City entered the now-ongoing season with a renewed hunger and tweaked tactical ideas under Pep Guardiola and his new backroom staff set-up.

The opening phase of the campaign has featured glimpses of the relentless football that became synonymous with their dominance in recent years, alongside moments of expected early-season inconsistency.

Many fans have been encouraged by the pressing intensity, quicker transitions, and the growing influence of summer signings who have slotted into the squad dynamic, while key figures such as Erling Haaland have hit strong form early on, helping provide a backbone of stability during a period where Pep Guardiola has rotated to manage fitness.

Meanwhile, younger players continue to see increased involvement in a clear nod towards the club’s long-term succession planning. Supporters have also pointed to clear improvement in defensive resilience, having seen late collapses and lapses prove costly last campaign.

Speaking to Manchester City’s official club website during a recent interview, Phil Foden was keen to insist that while nothing is decided during the opening weeks of a season in the way of direction of trophies, the promising start gives the club plenty of hope for the campaign.

“The season isn’t going to be decided in the first 10 games. I’m happy with where we are at. There is still a lot to improve but overall, it’s been a positive start,” Foden said.

The Manchester City academy graduate continued, “I think I’m in good form and I’ve been playing well. Maybe the goals and assists don’t say that, but I think overall the performances have been pretty good – much better than last season so I’m happy with that.”

Foden’s words reflect a mentality seen often at Manchester City with a focus on continual improvement rather than early-season hype. With fixtures against key rivals to come, and European football ongoing, the squad is expected to be tested further.

Pep Guardiola will no doubt emphasise maintaining control in big moments, sharpening finishing, and improving rhythm as the match calendar intensifies. Looking ahead, one major storyline will be how City manage squad rotation alongside maintaining momentum.

The form of creative players like Foden, Jeremy Doku, and newcomer Rayan Cherki could be decisive as the season develops, while Erling Haaland’s fitness and consistency remain central to their title hopes as the Norwegian dominates the club’s goalscoring charts.

While optimism is warranted based on performances so far, both Manchester City supporters and players appear fully aware that the true tests lie ahead, and Foden’s measured stance suggests the squad is determined to peak at the right moments.