Phil Foden joins big name trio to achieve Champions League feat | OneFootball

Phil Foden opened his goal account for the season after scoring in Manchester City’s 4-0 win at Slovan Bratislava this week.

Foden has had a slow start to the campaign due to illness and his involvement in the Euro 2024 final, with Pep Guardiola opting to ease the 24-year-old back into action.

The England international was named PFA Player of the Year and FWA Footballer of the Year last season, following a career-best campaign that saw Foden score 27 goals in all competitions for the Citizens.

His first of the season was taken in customarily clinical fashion, passed into the bottom corner to double City’s lead in a comfortable Champions League win for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Foden’s goal also saw him match a high-profile trio as the only players to have scored in each of the last seven UEFA Champions League campaigns.

Only Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann can match Foden in having scored in every Champions League season since 2018/19. Given the latter only turned 24 in the summer, it’s an astonishing statistic for the Stockport-born midfielder.

Guardiola says Foden getting back to his best

Guardiola was delighted with Foden’s performance and believes the City star is approaching his best level.

“He made a fantastic goal. He had chances against Inter and Newcastle that normally was always a goal last season,” Guardiola said in his post-match interview.

“He has started to not shoot but pass the ball to the post.

“You don’t have to shoot, you can just make a simple pass to the sides and Phil can do it. The second goal was perfect for that and the others were so strong but didn’t go to the goal.

“I have the feeling he is getting better step by step and of course Phil is really important for us. We need him a lot and step by step he is getting his best.”

Read – The longest unbeaten runs in Champions League history

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