Phil Foden — The Stockport Messi
A few weeks ago I watched Phil Foden live for the first time. As a United fan, I will admit it. I came to watch City, but I ended up watching Phil Foden. On a cold Monday night at the Gtech Community Stadium, Foden hat-trick meant he left with the match ball and stole all the headlines and in a 3–1 victory for the Cityzens.
For a few years, the mancunian has been compared to the like of Bukayo Saka. And of course the Arsenal man is a great player in his own right, but seeing Phil in real life, every bit of the hype is warranted. What I saw was the performance of a leader. In midst of world class players, Foden rose to the top. He demanded the ball from his compatriots, and not for the first time this season, he has been the player to contribute and score important goals for City at pivotal times. Historically Foden has come under criticism for scoring unimportant goals that would inflate his stats and overstate his suggested impact on the team. But this season is different. With 26 goal involvements (16 goals and 10 assists) in all competitions this season, the value of Foden’s contributions have been evident for all to see.
In a recent interview, Pep Guardiola earmarked Foden as City’s player of the season, and few would be able to argue with this premise. Against Brentford, Foden exhibited a desire to force the issue. Not only was he magical in possession, he also worked tirelessly off the ball.
The Manchester derby was the latest piece of evidence to add to the ‘world class’ classification debate many seem to have. In one of the biggest fixtures for the club and fans, Foden led City’s comeback with an exhilarating performance. Under Guardiola, Foden is maturing into one of the world’s best players.
We will we hope to see the Englishman shining at this year’s Euro’s and one day potential rival Jude Bellingham for the Balon d’or
