Phil Foden bagged a second hat trick of the season as Manchester City thrashed Aston Villa at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, April 3, 2024.
The Englishman proved his importance to Pep Guardiola with a fine individual performance against Unai Emery’s side ahead of an intense title run involving Arsenal and Liverpool.
The 23-year-old scored three times against Aston Villa, including his first-ever direct free kick.
The Cityzens academy product produced a stunning finish into the bottom corner after an hour of play before scuffling himself off the floor to plant a shot into the roof of the net moments later.
That was Foden’s 21st strike of the season in all competitions and his hat-trick has seen the attacking midfielder reach 20 goals in a single campaign for the first time as a professional player.
It was no surprise to see Guardiola subbed Phil Foden out of the clash shortly after completing his hat-trick and replacing him with fellow academy graduate Oscar Bobb.
That also gave the home fans an opportunity to give the youngster a standing ovation as a fitting display after his outstanding performance.
Foden’s hat-trick came at the perfect time for the Premier League defending champions, who might have seen Wednesday’s game against Aston Villa as a possible big deal.
Rodri’s first goal had initially put the Cityzens ahead early in the contest but Jhon Duran’s fine strike managed to level the score to make it a courageous half for the away side.
Manchester City had to keep the pace in a title race that will no doubt go down to the thinnest of margins.
How Phil Foden scored a hat trick against Aston Villa
Foden took responsibility for a free-kick on the edge of the box before half-time and he rightly pinged his effort past Robin Olsen.
His second goal owed to plenty of hard work from Rodri, who beat two players before an interesting pass found Foden on the edge of the box.
The Stockport-born ace fringed the ball right into the corner leaving the Aston Villa goalie imposing with a first-time finish.
Phil Foden wrapped up his hat-trick seven minutes later after unleashing a fine drive into the top of the net, making this his best-ever season in front of goal.
The Man City star has 31 goal contributions in all competitions with 10 assists to his name, while this is also the first top-four side that the champions have beaten this season.
Pep Guardiola saw his side return to winning ways after successive draws to Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League.
What’s next?
There are eight games left for Manchester City, who stay third and level on points with Jurgen Klopp’s side, who have a game in hand now. The current treble-winners will be seen next in action when they lock horns with Crystal Palace away from home on Saturday, April 6, at 12:30 WAT.
