Phil Foden has flourished under Pep Guardiola’s new tactics, delivered on the biggest occasions and SMASHED his best ever goal tally… how the England star went from supporting cast to Man City’s main man

Lionel Messi. Andres Iniesta. Robert Lewandowski. The rich list of world-class players that Pep Guardiola had coached before joining Manchester City was simply astonishing.

And yet, three years after his move to the Etihad, Guardiola shocked the world football world by claiming that Phil Foden – then a teenager who had yet to break into City’s starting XI – was the most talented player he had ever seen.

“The most talented player I have ever seen,” Guardiola said of Foden in 2019. ‘His only problem is that his manager sometimes doesn’t put him in the starting line-up. Hopefully that can improve in the future.’

Five years later, Guardiola’s prophetic comments have come true. Foden is Manchester City’s leading man, giving the Premier League giants a record fourth successive title and heavy favorites for the PFA’s Player of the Year.

A well-scored double against Brighton on Thursday took the City superstar’s goal tally to 24 in all competitions and left last season’s Treble winners a point behind leaders Arsenal with a game in hand.

Foden has flourished since being handed the keys at the top of Manchester City’s star-studded midfield, emerging as a significant goalscoring threat who can emerge in the biggest games.

While his assist numbers have largely remained the same season after season, Foden’s goal tally has skyrocketed since he took up more advanced positions on the pitch. Of those who do not take penalties for their respective teams, only Ollie Watkins has scored more Premier League goals than the England international.

Foden opened up about his Manchester City journey from ball boy to key player during an exclusive interview with Mail Sport’s IAN LADYMAN last week.

“It was difficult at times, you know, being a ball boy as a City fan and then coming through the levels to the first team,” Foden explained.

“I don’t think it’ll ever really change, you know? Some of that feeling will always be there. But I have balance now. Maybe this year it will finally be over, I don’t know.

‘The challenge for me was always a mountain I had to climb to even reach the first team. In my mind I just wanted to make one appearance for this club and then be able to say I did it.

“But once I did that, I thought, ‘No, I can actually play here. I can handle the standard.”

‘Now I’m at that stage where I feel like I’m a key player in the team. I feel very comfortable with that.’

Despite regularly chopping and changing his luxury squad, Guardiola always seems to have one player he considers his main man.

Last season, Erling Haaland missed just three games in the Premier League and two games in the Champions League on his way to the Treble.

Cast your mind back to the season before, when pundits questioned City’s ruthlessness before signing a recognized striker, and De Bruyne was Guardiola’s trusted key figure, constantly called upon to play every attacking role, from false nine to quarterback in midfield.

Until recently, Julian Alvarez appeared to be the regular part of the Manchester City attack, starting every Premier League match under Guardiola until February. The Argentine, who is still having a stellar season himself, was not selected against title rivals Arsenal in March – and his recent return was due to Haaland’s absence through injury.

But Foden’s electric form and impressive goal tally – including two stunning hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston Villa – have made the 23-year-old star indispensable in Guardiola’s eyes. He has featured in 29 of City’s 33 league matches so far, only featuring on the bench in matches against Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Luton and Sheffield United.

But perhaps most importantly, Foden has delivered for Guardiola on the biggest occasions. His stunning second-half equalizer against Real Madrid in the Champions League matched his sublime overall performance on the night. Despite City crashing out later in the second leg, it was a moment that proved Foden could perform at an elite level.

Stretching the pitch and exploiting width has always been a hallmark of Guardiola’s tactics. By forcing the opposition wide, the Spanish boss aims to create as much space as possible in midfield for his playmakers. That’s why players like Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan have all had success at Man City. engine room.

The role of those deployed out wide is to bring players out and create space rather than contribute directly with goals and assists.

Jack Grealish, for example, is an expert at this, despite struggling with form to his usual high standards this season.

To accommodate Haaland in the middle, Foden was often asked to play this role on the right flank during the last campaign, mirroring Grealish on the left, rather than drifting inside into more central areas. This hindered his goal threat.

A few tactical adjustments this season have loosened up Foden and given him the freedom to roam more freely.

Firstly, Kyle Walker has played a more advanced role this season, overlapping on the right to support the attack, while Josko Gvardiol or Nathan Aké sit deeper in the left-back position to maintain their shape in defence.

Walker’s marauding runs allow Foden or Bernardo Silva – who are also often on the right wing – to cut inside and overload the half-spaces between the opponent’s defense and midfield, an area in which City continually play big causes damage.

Furthermore, since the arrival of a true striker in Haaland, De Bruyne has had more reason to drift to the right wing during build-up, occasionally overlapping onto the flanks to deliver one of his trademark crosses into the penalty area.

When these two play alongside him, Foden can concentrate on dominating the center of the pitch – where he is undoubtedly more devastating for City – than on maintaining width on the right.

After climbing to new heights with Man City, Gareth Southgate and England will be hoping Foden will take his level on the international stage at this summer’s European Championships, with the 23-year-old almost a shoe-in to to start for the Three Lions in Germany.

Foden’s next test is against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with title favorites City still under pressure to win every game due to Arsenal’s rampant form.

Foden’s form will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the title race.