Phil Foden calls for patience in crucial title race message to Manchester City squad | OneFootball

Phil Foden has stressed how important patience in Manchester City’s camp could prove to be if they are to overtake Arsenal and win the Premier League this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side continued their chase to the league-leading Gunners on Sunday with a hard-fought 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park to narrow the gap to the Gunners to two points and extend their winning run to five games in all competitions.

With City’s next Premier League game – against West Ham United on December 20 – being played before Mikel Arteta’s side take Everton on later that evening, Guardiola and co could find themselves leading the table if results play into their favour. 

It marks a significant shift from November, when Arsenal flaunted a seven-point lead at the pinnacle of the English top-flight. A 2-1 loss at Villa Park last week since, alongside two draws against Sunderland and Chelsea, show a worrying dip in form for the north Londoners.

Still, a 2-1 victory against Wolves this weekend would have given Arteta’s group a boost in confidence as they look ahead to back-to-back home games in the Premier League against Brighton and Aston Villa sandwiched between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

For City, facing Oliver Glasner’s Palace threatened to derail early hopes of a title-winning campaign due to the Eagles’ formidable defensive structure and ability to break rapidly with the pace of their wingbacks, not least because of Jean-Philippe Mateta up front.

However, Erling Haaland broke the deadlock at Selhurst Park on Sunday with a stunning header before converting a penalty after 89 minutes to seal the win. The Norwegian’s double came either side of Foden’s seventh Premier League goal of the season, though the Manchester City academy graduate has called for patience in his group.

“I think we maybe tried to attack too quickly,” Foden said in reflection on Manchester City’s victory in south London, as quoted by The Independent.

“In the second-half, we did a lot better. (Patience) was the key for getting the result. We had more control and more passes, that is the City way. It was a full team performance.”

The victory on Sunday was hardly easy to come by and a first-half onslaught from Palace summed that up. Yeremy Pino struck Gianluigi Donnarumma’s crossbar early on before Adam Wharton hit the post in the second-half, with substitute Eddie Nkeitah also forcing the Italian shotstopper into a fine save late on.

“It’s a really difficult game. We know what (Palace) are about and they make it tricky. They set up well and have quality players on the break,” Foden added. 

“(In) the first half, we were just trying to figure them out. (In the) second-half, we started to hurt them more and in the end we killed the game off.”

A poor start to City’s season in August has since transitioned into more fruitful viewing, marked by 16 wins in 21 games in all competitions. Impressive victories against Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool and Real Madrid have come within that period as City next come up against Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Wednesday night.