Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium with Phil Foden the star of the show – and one statistic has emerged that will be very special indeed to him.
Foden scored twice in the second-half to help City launch a comeback, after going a goal down to Marcus Rashford.
Foden stepped up, as he has done many times this season, scoring two top goals before Erling Haaland sealed the win late on.
He has rightly come in for all sorts of praise since yesterday’s game. Pep Guardiola gave perhaps the biggest compliment of all, branding him the player of the season so far.
Foden is now up to 18 goals across all competitions for the season – and his latest means that he has now achieved something very special…
Phil Foden surpasses David Silva goalscoring tally for Manchester City after Manchester United brace
This is now Foden’s best scoring season of his career.
16 was his best back in 2020/21, and he only needed one yesterday to set a new personal record.
Foden’s first goal yesterday was significant because it actually took him level with City legend David Silva on 77 goals.
But of course, Foden then went and bagged another, meaning ‘the Stockport Iniesta’ has now surpassed the Spanish maestro.
A lovely achievement for Foden
So Foden has now scored more goals for Manchester City than David Silva, a player who he absolutely idolised when coming through the youth ranks at the Etihad.
Foden spent three years training and playing with Silva, and when the Spaniard retired from football, City’s academy graduate said (via BBC Sport): “The best we’ve ever seen! It was a privilege to have played alongside you, genuinely my idol from being a kid and the best mentor when coming into the first team.
“Thank you for everything my friend, all the best in your retirement.”
Silva was a huge part of Foden’s early years at City and you can just see in the way he plays that he has really studied his hero closely.
It must be a special feeling for Foden – who Pep Guardiola thinks will go down as a legendary player – to have gone past his idol in the City goalscoring charts.
Silva himself must also feel a huge sense of pride seeing Foden move above him in the goalscoring ranks, knowing how much he used to look up to him.
