Phi Foden was the talking point when Manchester City visited Anfield Stadium on Sunday to play against Liverpool football club. City beat the reigning Premier League champions 4-1 to further strengthen their standing on the league table.
Despite how good the youngster was against Liverpool, Manchester City coach, Pep Guardiola stressed that the youngster has to improve on his positioning.
Phi Foden scored the last goal of the match in a very fascinating style; even the coach of Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp described the goal as “a genius situation”.
In the build-up to the beautiful goal, Foden cut into Liverpool’s penalty box and took out Liverpool’s defender Andrew Robertson before he stunningly drives in the ball while goalkeeper Alisson could do nothing but watch it into the net.
“I struck [my goal] perfect and I’m just happy to see it go in and help the team,” Foden said after City’s 4-1 win over Liverpool. “It gives us every chance to go on and win [the title], but the job isn’t done and we’ve got a long way to go. When you beat the champions, everyone’s confidence goes sky high, so it can only help us.”
Words from the boy wonder 💫
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 7, 2021
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/WVmijejVeN
Before he scored the goal, the 20-year-old English center-midfielder was very instrumental in ensuring that City gave Liverpool a bad memory at Anfield both in the midfield area and in the attack.
He was heavily involved in the build-up that led to Manchester City‘s second goal. He found a way to drive himself into Liverpool’s penalty box before he picked out Ilkay Gundogan who did not hesitate to score with a second tap of the ball.
A statement victory! 🔥
— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 7, 2021
🔷 #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/HhOaQdSYJH
“Phil deserves all the credit, he’s doing really well,” Gundogan told BBC after the match. “Compared to last season he has stepped his game up this season. He’s still so young we can’t forget that, a lot to come from him. Very happy to have him in our team he gives us an incredible quality and great to see a young kid playing so well.”
So far this season, Phil Foden has scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists in 28 games. He is the second-youngest player in Europe, behind Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund, to have double-digit goals.
Despite such a hot form, Manchester City’s manager, Pep Guardiola believes that the 20-year-old midfielder still has a lot to learn especially in the area of understanding the position he is expected to be in during a game.
Guardiola stressed that sometimes Foden is missing in an area of the pitch where he is needed to be and that made it difficult for City in ‘some moments’ in the Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday.
“He is a guy who can keep the ball really well,” said Guardiola. “He is a guy who is so aggressive when arriving.
“He is so young. Sometimes he still doesn’t understand some positions, what you have to do. So, in the first half he was not in the right position that he has to be, that we work [on]. He gets a little bit distracted by these issues. Playing wide is a little bit easier for him. But he will learn.
“After that, the action for the second goal and the fourth goal, we know what a huge talent he is. But he is still young and hopefully he can understand and improve because in the first half he was not in the position that we needed and that is why we suffered in some moments to have the control.”
