A composite image of Phil Foden looking happy in one image and with his hands over his mouth looking sad in another
It was 12 months ago this weekend that Phil Foden found himself on the wrong end of an expletive-strewn tirade from Pep Guardiola.
The Manchester City midfielder had unwisely stuck out a leg, tripped Jean-Philippe Mateta and gifted Crystal Palace a penalty, which Michael Olise would dispatch to claim a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola unloaded in the dressing room. “Phil, in the f------ 18-yard box, you don’t touch the opponent!” the City manager vented in footage from the club’s recent documentary, Together: 4-In-A-Row. “It’s unacceptable, Phil Foden, unacceptable!”
In reality, it was a small misstep from a player whose performances that season helped him land all three of the big individual domestic gongs: PFA Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League’s Player of the Season.
Foden was directly involved in almost 30 per cent of City’s 96 league goals that campaign, his 19 goals and eight assists and wider brilliance playing an integral role in the club’s march to a fourth consecutive league title.
Guardiola may have been unhappy with his midfielder in that instance against Palace, but it was one of only two games City failed to win over a three-month period to mid-March.
Fast-forward a year and how City’s manager would gladly settle for such a fleeting moment of frustration with Foden now.
Manchester City stars Phil Foden and Khadija Shaw were named menâ s and womenâ s PFA players of the year respectively. Issue date: Thursday December 12, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story SPORT Christmas Augus
Phil Foden was lauded and awarded last season
The loss of Rodri for the season with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament has been a hammer blow for Guardiola, but Foden’s stop-start campaign through illness, niggling injuries and other difficulties off the field has compounded problems in midfield and, in turn, contributed to a team in the grips of a crisis of confidence.
Losing one of his key midfielders was always going to hurt. Being deprived of both for the most part has robbed City of their main arterial routes. They head into Sunday’s derby against Manchester United at the Etihad on the back of one win and seven defeats in 10 games and are at risk of failing to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 12 years. This is uncharted territory for a serial winning machine.
Foden’s sparkling form last season also meant City did not miss Kevin De Bruyne too much when the Belgium international was out for five months with a ruptured hamstring. But, with neither having been readily available to Guardiola since the start of the campaign, the attack has suffered badly and even Erling Haaland is now feeling the weight, given the overwhelming burden on him for goals.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between Juventus and Manchester City at Juventus Stadium on December 11, 2024 in Turin, Italy
Erling Haaland’s importance has become heightned with City’s struggles this season
After a glittering past season, the stage was set for Foden to excel at the European Championship in Germany with England last summer. But the player’s form deserted him as he failed to strike up a rapport with Jude Bellingham and looked inhibited, uncertain and confused in Gareth Southgate’s system. He came home briefly to attend the birth of his third child but there was no great upturn when he returned, with England eventually losing the final to Spain, and those struggles have continued into the season with City.
Remarkably for a player who plundered 27 goals in all competitions last season, he has yet to score in the league this term and has one assist, with only six starts and a further four appearances off the bench, and is attempting fewer dribbles than at any other point since becoming a regular in the team. That lack of fluidity and conviction on the ball has been marked and, out of possession, there has also been a drop-off.
Foden, 24, is noted for his work rate and pressing off the ball, but he is losing more duels and winning back possession on fewer occasions than at any stage since breaking through six years ago. He is also averaging almost seven fewer touches per game than last season, which points to both his struggles and those of a side unable to find the net with any consistency and shipping goals for fun.
After hitting the heights last season, any form of drop-off was going to be noticeable, but the comedown has been severe. Guardiola and City are waiting patiently for Foden to rediscover his form and confidence. The absence of a pre-season has not helped and there have been off-field challenges that warrant sympathy and support.
After appearing as a second-half substitute in the opening-day victory to Chelsea, Foden did not play again for a month with an unspecified illness. It has been a challenge to build momentum and he missed the last two league games against Nottingham Forest and Palace with bronchitis, before returning to the squad for Wednesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat by Juventus in Turin, where he was an unused substitute.
Guardiola will hope he has him back for good now. One sign of encouragement is that Foden has still been creating more chances per 90 minutes in the league this season than any other campaign and, a boyhood City fan from Stockport, he has often excelled against United. His last four league outings against those bitter local rivals have yielded six goals, including a hat-trick in a 6-3 win during the treble success.
Guardiola may feel it is just the type of game his young midfielder needs to kick-start a disrupted campaign.
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