“He’s back!” – Pep Guardiola sends message to National Team coach as Manchester City thrash Borussia Dortmund | OneFootball

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Phil Foden after the Englishman scored a fine brace in a 4-1 UEFA Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.

City took a giant step towards qualification for the Round of 16 with a convincing beating of the German outfit, who started well at the Etihad Stadium but conceded twice within the space of eight minutes in the first 30 minutes as Foden and Erling Haaland gave the hosts a quickfire two-goal advantage.

Dortmund fought hard to claw themselves back into the game but Foden put the game beyond all reasonable doubt just before the hour mark, with the sort of trademark finish the 25-year-old regularly showcased in his 2023-24 PFA Players’ Player of the Year winning campaign.

Having endured a difficult 12 months on and off the pitch, the Stockport-born star has been in fine form since he marked his first start of the current season with a well-taken header to open the scoring in Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Manchester United in September.

The England international has since gone from strength to strength as he looks to lead by example and spearhead his boyhood club to challenging for major trophies once again after City fell short of their own standards last term.

However, Foden is inspiring Manchester City back to their relentless way of old and Pep Guardiola has been delighted with what he’s seeing from the six-time Premier League winner week-in, week-out.

On whether Foden is approaching the peak of his powers, Guardiola said after the game: “I’d say he’s already there! There’s no need to be closer,” in conversation with TNT Sports.

“How many times have we seen that (goal) from Phil, right?! That generosity with effort, but especially in the final third. We’ve missed it a lot. This season he’s back, yeah.”

Foden has been excluded from Thomas Tuchel’s recent England squads as the Manchester City attacker rediscovers his best form, with Tuchel and Guardiola admitting in the last six months that they want to see the 25-year-old back playing with a smile on his face.

That has certainly been the case this season and Tuchel will be keeping a very close eye on one of England’s very best talents. “Thomas (Tuchel) knows perfectly how good Phil is and I’m pretty sure Thomas will do the best for his new country,” Guardiola added.

Manchester City have won 10 of their last 13 games in all competitions and it is no coincidence that purple patch has coincided with Foden’s return to form as the Blues look to claim a fifth Premier League title in six seasons.

Foden was voted Player of the Match against Borussia Dortmund and is expected to start against Liverpool in the Premier League this weekend, with the Blues looking to keep up the pressure on title rivals and league leaders Arsenal with three points against the reigning English champions.