MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 24: Phil Foden of Manchester City and Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City after the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Manchester City and Watford at Etihad Stadium on September 24, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Pep Guardiola fumed at Phil Foden after the Manchester City star gave away a penalty
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola launched an X-rated rant at Phil Foden after the England star gave away a penalty.
Foden has struggled this season, scoring just three goals in 16 appearances. City themselves are also enduring a remarkably poor run of form, having failed to win any of their last six games.
Their struggles this term come after a season in which they won a record-setting fourth successive Premier League title. Foden was a key player in that title win, being named the division's Player of the Year.
But there was one moment last December that Foden will not remember fondly and saw him land in hot water with Guardiola. It came during a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium.
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City had been leading 2-1 entering the 95th minute thanks to goals from Jack Grealish and Rico Lewis. But at the point, Foden caught Jean-Philippe Mateta in the box, with referee Paul Tierney pointing to the spot.
Michael Olise stepped up to slot past Ederson and secure a draw for the Eagles. Guardiola was left furious and blasted Foden in the dressing room after the final whistle, with his reaction shown in the new documentary Together: 4-In-A-Row.
“Phil, in the f***ing 18-yard box, you don’t touch the opponent,” Guardiola yelled. “It’s unacceptable, Phil Foden, unacceptable!”
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 16: Manchester City player Phil Foden fouls Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace to give away penalty during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Crystal Palace at Etihad Stadium on December 16, 2023 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Foden fouled Jean-Philippe Mateta to gift Crystal Palace a draw at City last season
The draw left City fourth in the Premier League, though they would go on to the win the title. And Foden has insisted that he did not have a problem with the rebuke from his manager.
“I knew you were going to say that," he told The Times when asked about the incident. "Yeah, the highlight of my season. That’s a side he has in him, he lets you know when he’s disappointed, and I don’t mind it. I like honesty.
“Obviously, I gave a penalty away late on against Palace but I put it into my mind after that game that I’m going to make it up to my team, because I felt guilty as anything. I put it into my head to make it up to my team and I think I did that in the season.”
Guardiola failed to hide his anger when outside the dressing room as he also dressed down Foden and his team in his post-match press conference. He said: “It’s not bad luck, it’s deserved. We give away two points. When you give away this penalty, you deserve it.
“In the end, be patient, don’t concede transitions and that’s not what we have done in seven, eight years in these types of games. In the last minute we give them a penalty. In the 18-yard box we have to be careful, and we were not careful."
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