Wayne Rooney revealed that he felt sad for Manchester City star Phil Foden during the Carabao Cup final on March 22. Foden came off the bench in the final minutes of the game as the Sky Blues beat Arsenal 2-0 to win the title.
During Sunday's Carabao Cup final vs Arsenal, Pep Guardiola made only one substitution. He brought on Phil Foden in the 90th minute, replacing Rayan Cherki. The Sky Blues were already up 2-0 with academy graduate Nico O'Reilly scoring a brace in the clash. The Carabao Cup marked Manchester City's first title of the season.
In a conversation on the BBC's Wayne Rooney Show, the Manchester United legend weighed in on Phil Foden's substitution, claiming it felt like a "charity sub." He said (via BBC):
"I felt sad for him but not sad because he is coming on in a cup final. There was a game a few days ago when he didn't even get on the pitch. If that was Max Dowman coming on at the end, you would think good experience. But to see Phil Foden coming on in a cup final, it felt like a charity sub to get him on the pitch."
He added:
"I don't know what has happened, he is a top player. It feels strange he can't get anywhere near the team. It feels like something has gone on there. I thought Foden was in good form but all of a sudden we haven't seen him get any minutes. Firstly he will be pleased they won the cup but from a selfish point of view, he would have wanted to be out there and having an influence. That will be a tough one for him."
Phil Foden has made 41 appearances for Manchester City this season, featuring as a starter in 30 of them. In the last few games, Pep Guardiola has preferred the likes of Rayan Cherki, Savinho, and Antoine Semenyo over Foden in the starting XI. The Englishman was benched for both legs of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 against Real Madrid, with Manchester City losing 5-1 on aggregate.
Manchester City star Phil Foden hopes to get "more minutes" after the international break following Carabao Cup win
Foden - Source: Getty
Foden - Source: Getty
Speaking to reporters (h/t BBC) after Sunday's 2-0 Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal, Phil Foden admitted that he hopes for more minutes after the international break.
"Football sometimes is not straightforward. There are ups and downs and sometimes you can't be the best version of yourself and that's the way it is. It's just about how you pick yourself back up. I'm still keeping my head down, trying to train as well as I can every day. Hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper and hopefully I can get more minutes and be back to where I was at the start of the season," Foden said.
After securing the Carabao Cup, Manchester City will now focus on reducing their nine-point gap with first-placed Arsenal in the Premier League. They also have a game in hand, but it will depend on how the Gunners proceed, as the title race remains open. Manchester City also clash against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals after the break.