Manchester City forward Phil Foden has declared he wants to maintain his form in front of goal after bagging a hat-trick against AEK Athens on Tuesday night.
Can Phil Foden help fill Man City's Antoine Semenyo void?
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Foden maintained his place in the starting XI on matchday three of the UEFA Champions League league phase after marking his return to the line-up against Ipswich Town on Saturday with a crucial opener in the 3-2 win.
The England international endured a frustrating international break after being sent off in the first-half of Manchester City's 1-0 derby win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in September, leading to a three-game domestic suspension.
However, after netting the opener against Ipswich Town at the weekend, the 26-year-old scored his first-ever UEFA Champions League hat-trick on Tuesday night as a much-changed City side secured a whopping 5-1 win over Greek champions AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium.
Maresca looking for solutions to Semenyo conundrum
Manchester City entered the midweek European fixture off the back of seeing Antoine Semenyo pick up a knee injury in a cameo against Ipswich that manager Enzo Maresca confirmed is set to keep the Ghana forward out for around two months.
A regular in the starting XI since joining Pep Guardiola's City from Bournemouth for £65 million in January, Semenyo is also one of the first names on Maresca's teamsheet and the winger's absence will be dearly felt in the Blues' frontline in the weeks to come.
City have won their first seven games of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign in a record-breaking start to life at the Etihad Stadium for Maresca, who will take his troops to Birmingham to face Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon.
Foden: I'm a forward so I have to keep scoring
The Blues are in a rich vein of form but with Semenyo out and Erling Haaland already shouldering an overwhelming majority of the goalscoring burden, the onus now falls on others in attack to lend a hand, starting with Foden.
Speaking in a candid post-match interview with TNT Sports after his hat-trick against AEK Athens, the Manchester City academy graduate outlined a desire to maintain his recent goalscoring run as he looks to return to his best after a stop-start few seasons at the Etihad Stadium.
"I've still got a long way [before I'm back at my best], but I'm going in the right direction and scoring along the way, it definitely helps," the six-time Premier League winner said.
"I just want to keep working hard and trying to be the best I can for the manager and for the team. I'm delighted to score goals now and I'm a forward so I have to keep scoring and helping the team, and it can only do good for my confidence!"
False nine role suits me, says Foden
With Haaland handed a timely rest in the midst of a jam-packed schedule, Foden operated further forward and almost as a false nine at times against AEK Athens, with academy star Floyd Samba operating down the middle.
"I really enjoyed it a lot [when I moved into false nine], finding in between the lines and in the pockets where I like to be, linking the play - so I really enjoyed that role tonight," Foden added.
Four goals in as many days is as strong a case any player can make for a third successive start and while Maresca could understandably rotate and avoid a risk of injury for Foden, there is ample time to rest and recover before the weekend should the Manchester City manager want to see whether the forward can handle a third start in a week.