Manchester City are back to within just two points of Premier League leaders Liverpool after a 2-0 win over Sheffield United – and Phil Foden continues to receive high praise for his performance.
City beat the Blades convincingly at the Etihad Stadium, with Rodri and Julian Alvarez the goalscorers.
City had beaten Everton in midweek and were able to follow that up with another victory on Sunday to now put the pressure on Liverpool and Arsenal.
It was a dominant display, and one man at the heart of everything for City in an attacking sense was Phil Foden, who was described by Rodri as a ‘game-changer’ after the game.
Don Hutchison in awe of Phil Foden at Manchester City recently and tips him to get 100 England caps
City are starting to tick again but before the Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola‘s side were having a bit of difficulty in the Premier League.
Three straight draws and then a defeat to Aston Villa had a lot of people talking.
But one man who hasn’t let his standards drop is Foden, who has been utterly thriving in a central role.
The £225,000-a-week star was deployed there again yesterday by Pep and had license to go wherever, and the Sheffield United players found it very tricky to keep tabs on him.
It will be very interesting to see what happens with him now that Kevin De Bruyne is back. Many City fans would love to see him carry on playing in the middle, and that is something Foden has admitted himself.
Speaking after the game yesterday, ESPN pundit Don Hutchison was left hugely impressed by the 23-year-old and made an interesting international prediction about the star.
He said on ESPN FC: “Foden was amazing. People said a few months ago that he couldn’t play as a number 10, well he’s excelling in it. I know there’s stiff competition when you talk about England, but I’d be surprised if this guy doesn’t have 100 caps he’s that good.
“I think the last couple of months, especially since Kevin De Bruyne has been away, he’s been unbelievable. He’s been that good.”
A very special talent
Foden was just outstanding yesterday for City, especially in the second-half when he saw more of the ball.
According to Sofascore, he completed 83/85 (98%) passes with six of those being ‘key’, and of course, he assisted both goals against the Blades.
As Hutchison suggests, his performances lately have just been superb and this central role really does get the most out of his skillset. His ability to find space between the lines and take the ball on the half-turn is just a sight to behold. Many fans would probably agree with Craig Burley suggesting recently that Foden could be City’s star man for the rest of the campaign.
He has definitely stepped up to the plate in the absence of De Bruyne, and it really will be fascinating now to see what Pep Guardiola does now that the Belgian is back.
