He’s just like Messi! Pep Guardiola is so blown away by Man City’s derby hero Phil Foden he pays him the ultimate compliment by comparing him to Barcelona great Lionel
- Phil Foden scored twice to help Man City overcome a 1-0 deficit and beat United
- According to his manager, the English attacker can win games like Lionel Messi
- Manchester City vs Man United is a derby in name only, we know the winner – it’s like an F1 style procession – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Pep Guardiola mentioned Phil Foden in the same breath as the great Lionel Messi as the Manchester City star’s game continues to reach new heights.
Foden’s brace in Sunday’s 3-1 win over Manchester United earned him more plaudits, with his manager claiming the 23-year-old is currently the best player in the Premier League.
But Guardiola went a step further, believing Foden’s ability to take charge of games at decisive moments reminds him of a young Messi.
“The good players, you can play well, but you have to win games, and I met the greatest player ever like Messi,” Guardiola told TV2. ‘He can win matches and I don’t want to compare, because Phil is not at the level of Leo, but he does win matches.’
The Catalan’s comments were put to Foden, who replied: ‘Really? You can’t compare anyone to Messi, he’s in his own world, but to hear that from the manager is really nice.”
Phil Foden scored twice for Man City as they defeated their rivals United in the Manchester derby
The England forward drew comparisons from his manager to Barcelona legend Lionel Messi
Foden’s progress was underlined by his belief that City rushed too much after Marcus Rashford’s early stunner – a sign that he has learned Guardiola’s principles in a development that is leading the likes of Thomas Frank to predict he will challenge for the future Ballon d’Ors. .
The City boss has continually referred to the England international’s need to hone the craft of a central midfielder by learning when to slow down games, while also being more aware of defensive responsibilities.
Foden’s performances have improved considerably since City lost two crucial points with a final-minute mistake against Crystal Palace in December. The key to winning the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia is that Foden has now scored 18 goals in all competitions – the best result of his career.
His 257 senior appearances are one ahead of Messi at the same age, although the Argentine surpasses him in minutes, with the equivalent of almost 40 more appearances to his name.
Pep Guardiola insisted that Foden had the same ability to win games as his former player Messi
Foden has put in the extra hours after training to perfect his finishing this season and after regaining his place after injury and loss of form contributed to a supporting role in last year’s Treble, he has not looked back.
“I think I’ve just grown as a player,” he added before revealing the inspiration behind his new celebration. “It’s actually a joke from the guys: they say I shoot a lot during training, and they call me the sniper.”
