Manchester City are through to the FA Cup semi-final after beating Newcastle United, and there was yet another brilliant performance from Phil Foden.
City booked their place in the last four for the sixth season running, with Bernardo Silva bagging a brace at the Etihad Stadium.
It was a comfortable night for City, with Newcastle not offering much in the final third.
They were restricted to half-chances mainly, with Stefan Ortega – in for the injured Ederson – making one good save in the first-half from Alex Isak.
City were excellent, with Phil Foden shining once again – and after the game, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were both in agreement about one thing regarding City’s academy product…
Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker adamant Man City star Phil Foden should now be starting for England
Foden was just breathtaking at times against Newcastle in the number 10 role.
He was able to operate there because Kevin De Bruyne was out injured, with Bernardo playing from the right.
It’s a position he really loves, and is so well suited to given his brilliant half-turn ability.
Foden didn’t score or assist against Newcastle but was a handful all game and was ultimately named the Man of the Match. After the contest had ended, Micah Richards provided some post-match analysis on Foden and branded him ‘immaculate’.
Shearer then said: “He has to start for England.”
Lineker added: “Oh that’s not a debate, is it?
Shearer said: “He makes receiving that ball in such tight situations ridiculously easy. His ability to go either side…”
Foden must play centrally for England
There is surely no debate now – Phil Foden simply must start regularly for England, and he must play in the middle.
We know the £225,000-a-week star can play out wide to a high standard.
But this season has shown how truly special he can be in the middle. He may still only be 23, but he is already an absolute master at finding space between the lines, taking the ball on the half-turn and then playing that killer pass.
If Gareth Southgate refrains from playing Foden in the middle for England, then it is simply negligence at this point.
The winning formula is staring him in the face; Declan Rice should play at the base of midfield, with Foden and Jude Bellingham as the two ahead of him. The wide players should be Bukayo Saka on the right and Jack Grealish on the left, with Harry Kane leading the line.
