Following a hard-earned victory against Everton at Goodison Park, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola strode to the away section to drink in the fans’ adoration.
The Catalan coach chooses his moments to interact with his supporters, so it’s significant when he chooses to shake his fists and applaud after a win.
Guardiola had words and hugs for many of his players, but was willing to accompany Phil Foden and signal to the fans that the player needed to be applauded.
The young Englishman had the man of the match, scoring the all-important equaliser in a move that saw him take action in Liverpool by the neck.
Speaking to the media after the game, Guardiola said that in the absence of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, it is imperative to have a player who can intervene decisively in tricky situations.
“With Erling’s absence, we don’t have many players with a real sense of purpose and it’s very important for us to know how he plays,” Guardiola said. “Phil Foden, despite everything, took the ball and put it in the net. “.
This is the first time this season that the Manchester City manager has praised Foden. After a remarkable performance against Newcastle United in August, he has been even more expansive.
“Phil can play all positions in the forward areas. He’s been given skill between the lines, the way he rotates and attacks the baseline,” he said.
“He’s one of the most productive I’ve ever seen. With control, he knows exactly how to attack the goal. He doesn’t want two or three touches to be in the right position to attack the goal.
But it would be misleading to say that this season has been a piece of cake for the youngster.
Just a week before the Everton game Foden intervened decisively against Crystal Palace in a negative sense, first to lose the ball and then concede the penalty which gave the Eagles an improbable 2-2 draw at the Etihad.
After the win on Merseyside, Guardiola covered up the mistake but warned Foden that he had learned from him.
“He didn’t win us the game against Crystal Palace, but in the next games against Fluminense [at the Club World Cup] and today [against Everton], he’s learning,” added the coach.
“The last few minutes he did completely different to Crystal Palace.”
At just 23 years old, Foden’s career to date is explained by the flexibility to play in other positions.
A highly anticipated youngster, he began making appearances in City’s wide open positions as a teenager.
As he began to identify himself during the 2019/20 season, he was swapped between wings, equally adept at playing on the left wing as he was on the right.
Since then, he has also been used as a ‘false 9’, in a central position up front but occupying positions more related to the midfielders.
However, until this season, Foden was rarely used in the number 10 role he was known for banking on in his youth career.
“You know how much I like playing in the middle and long may that continue,” the man himself added with a trademark grin after the Everton win.
England manager Gareth Southgate has some doubts.
“He doesn’t play there for his club, so presumably there is a reason for that,” Southgate claimed after being asked to explain why he wouldn’t consider Foden for a central role.
“In the middle of the park, everyone wants to talk about when you are with the ball but there is a lot of detail without the ball and games where you have to be spot on with pressing angles. If you don’t, you don’t get the flow of the game.”
It’s hard for Foden to suggest that his lack of appearance in a more central role is purely due to a lack of meaning. There is a strong argument that the flexibility of the midfielder means that personal tastes are sacrificed for the team.
There’s also the fact that for most of his City career, Kevin De Bruyne, one of the best players in the world in that role has been the number starter in that position.
His chance to shine in the role of No. 10 came thanks to De Bruyne and Erling Haaland.
The latter’s injury is crucial because it restores Julian Alvarez to his favored spot upfront, the Argentinian does not have the flexibility to play out wide so when the Norweigan talisman is fit it is he rather than Foden who is played in the middle.
As De Bruyne nears a return, Foden may be out of the way again.
But he does so after he started to make a big mark consistently, the goal against Everton followed by two assists in a difficult game against Sheffield United.
He’s often the type to praise his teammates, midfield teammate Rodri told Sky Sports after his first goal in Foden’s trade.
“Phil has the ability to spin so fast. He has that plasticity with the ball that allows him to turn so quickly,” Rodri said.
“We’ve had to be patient, but when we can locate that pass, it’s a game-changer. He picks up the pace, he can shoot and pass. “
Despite winning five trophies in 2023, Foden has enjoyed better seasons as injury severely affected his campaign form.
But with nine goals already this season, he’s well on his way to hitting his numbers and continuing his rise to greatness.