A Phil Foden masterclass helped Manchester City hammer Aston Villa 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola’s team sheet came as a huge surprise as it didn’t include his main double act Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland against a dangerous top-four chasing Aston Villa outfit. However, it was a perfect reflection of the Phil Foden hat-trick show that the duo were not missed for a moment in Man City’s big win over Unai Emery’s side.
How did the game pan out?
Rodri gave Man City the lead in the 11th minute from a Jeremy Doku cutback from the right flank. Jhon Duran, who stepped in for the injured Ollie Watkins, equalised for Aston Villa nine minutes later.
Foden restored City’s lead in the first-half stoppage time with a well-taken free-kick. Villa missed two golden opportunities to make it 2-2 in the second half before Foden made it 3-1 with a fine finish past goalkeeper Robin Olsen.
The England international completed his hat-trick with a rasping left-footed drive into that net that kept Olsen rooted to his spot, helping the Sky Blues get back to winning ways after back-to-back draws with Liverpool and Arsenal.
20-plus goal involvement for Phil Foden this season
Following his hat-trick against Villa, Foden became the fifth player to register 20+ goals and 10+ assists (across all competitions) in Europe’s big five leagues this season. The 23-year-old, who tore Villa to shreds with his creativity, flair, movement and ruthless finishing, also became the fourth Englishman to achieve this milestone after Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Ollie Watkins.
In 149 Premier League appearances, Foden has bagged 49 goals and 25 assists. The England international has 14 goals and seven assists in 30 league appearances, enjoying his best top-flight campaign in terms of productivity in front of goal so far in his career.
Man City’s dominance in numbers
Man City enjoyed 67 % ball possession and made 701 passes with a superb 92% accuracy. They produced 25 shots at Villa’s goal with 11 on target.
The Villans, on the contrary, were limited to just three shots on target from eight attempts. Emery’s side found it really difficult to get hold of the ball and managed only 33% possession, 337 passes with 86% accuracy.
Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues remain in reckoning for the Premier League crown
By returning to winning ways in midweek, Guardiola’s City remain third on the table after 30 games.
The Cityzens picked up their 20th win of the season and are on 67 points, a point behind league leaders Arsenal and level on points with second-place Liverpool, who are set to host Sheffield United on Thursday evening. With eight games to go, they firmly remain in the title race as Guardiola aims to follow up the treble with a historic four-peat.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
