Manchester City have had an underwhelming start to the season, but Joe Cole has backed one squad member to kick on and get back on track due to their ability.
Pep Guardiola has an abundance of talent available to him at Man City, which he boosted by signing stars like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Cherki, and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Guardiola aims to guide his team back toward fighting for the Premier League after Liverpool lifted the trophy last season, but he will need his star players firing on all cylinders to make that happen.
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Man City have only won one of their opening three fixtures, losing to Brighton & Hove Albion and Tottenham Hotspur.
Guardiola’s team currently sits 13th in the Premier League table, and after the international break, a lot of work clearly needs to be done.
Josep 'Pep' Guardiola, head coach of Manchester City, reacts after a missed chance during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Joe Cole labels Phil Foden the ‘best player in the country’
Phil Foden has been one of the most important members of the Man City squad during his time at the Etihad Stadium, but the 2024-25 campaign proved challenging for him.
The versatile forward struggled to provide the same level of quality that saw him win the PFA Player of the Year award for the 2023-24 season, but Cole spoke to the talkSPORT x TNT Sports Show about his potential.
“When Foden is in top form, he’s the best player in the country”
Joe Cole discusses Phil Foden's absence from the England squad and recent struggles at Man City 🔵
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“He had a difficult season last year; we don’t know what problems he had off the pitch or injuries, or what it was. But you have to keep faith with these types of players.
“When Phil Foden plays well to the best of his ability, like the season before last, he’s the best player in the country.
“But there’s only one player who can produce that level of performance over the last 15 years consistently, and that’s Lionel Messi, and there’s a reason he’s the greatest player in the world.
“A manager’s job is to get the best out of these players.”
Phil Foden has to improve on his 24-25 Man City campaign
Foden is a player who can produce magic with his feet. From his tricky dribbling to his ability to score goals from anywhere, he can be a genuine difference maker for Man City when playing well.
However, if he wants to continue being one of Man City’s most important players, he must improve his output from last season.
Phil Foden’s 2024-25 Stats Games Played Goals Assists Minutes Played
All Competitions 49 13 7 2,993′
Phil Foden’s Man City stats 24-25
The England international struggled with his end product, impacting his Three Lions career as Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer rose in prominence.
It has been a less-than-ideal start for him, given that Foden has only managed to play 15 minutes of football so far this season, and he is dealing with an ankle issue.