Phil Foden
Phil Foden
"New season, fresh me." So he said after a matchwinning performance, and so Manchester City will very much hope.
Phil Foden got a goal and an assist against Wydad, but Pep Guardiola had reason to be delighted with something else he did. As he celebrated City scoring quicker than anyone else has in the tournament, Foden looked from his teammates to the fans and could not take the beaming grin from his face.
Foden was rewarded for his positive intent with the goal. Nathan Ake had lofted the ball over the top for Jeremy Doku to run onto and his cross had found its way to the Stockport playmaker on the edge of the box.
There, Foden did as he often did last season - taking time to decide before settling for the safe ball, in this instance a sideways pass to Savinho. Except he never stopped following it after letting it go, and when the Brazilian's shot was parried weakly back into the middle of the box there was Foden.
Towards the end of the first half, a pinpoint corner saw Doku volley home a second goal to put City in complete control of the game. Some slack play between those moments could quickly be forgotten as any potential for an upset was washed away.
More important to Guardiola than any goal contribution Foden made against Wydad was how he looked and that celebration was important. The more the 25-year-old is playing with a smile on his face, the less City have to worry about and the more opposition teams have to start worrying again.
Last season was awful for Foden, who rushed back after a difficult Euros and began the campaign with physical and mental burnout that he never really recovered from. He looked more like the player who had led City to a fourth consecutive title for a few months in the winter, before tailing off again.
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He now has fresh competition, with Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders making their debuts against Wydad alongside him. Reijnders looked smart starting from deep and pushing forward, while Cherki was less influential but is more of a direct threat to Foden's minutes.
Rodri's introduction in the second half allowed fans some time to see him work in tandem with Reijnders, which could prove a very important partnership for City as they look to be much stronger through the middle in the coming season. There won't be many games where conditions are as unhelpfully hot as Philadelphia was for both teams on Wednesday.
As exciting as the new signings are though, Guardiola would relish few things more than Foden rediscovering the performance levels he had that saw him win so many individual and collective prizes in the 2023/24 campaign. As much of a cliche as it is, it would be like a new signing.
There is still a long way to go and many tougher tests ahead, but if City can keep Foden smiling the fans should have much more to cheer about this season.
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