Foden shines as Man City rout Athens 5-1 despite Haaland, Semenyo injuries

Phil Foden scored a hat-trick arsenic Manchester City bounced backmost from past week’s nonaccomplishment to PSG contempt off-field troubles.

Enzo Maresca believes Phil Foden has provided grounds that his prolonged slump mightiness yet beryllium implicit by scoring a hat-trick successful Manchester City’s 5-1 rout of AEK Athens successful the Champions League.

After struggling severely implicit the past 2 seasons, England playmaker Foden could beryllium connected the brink of a long-awaited renaissance aft his sublime show astatine the Etihad Stadium connected Tuesday.

It has been a trying play for the 26-year-old, who has admitted suffering from intelligence wellness issues.

Foden fell retired of favour with erstwhile City brag Pep Guardiola and had not scored for 10 months anterior to his extremity successful Saturday’s Premier League triumph against Ipswich.

This play has been different turbulent acquisition for Foden, who was sent disconnected successful City’s triumph astatine Manchester United and has been forced to conflict for a spot successful Maresca’s starting lineup.

Foden scored City’s 5th extremity past AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli [Oli Scraff/AFP]

Taking vantage of injuries that near Erling Haaland connected the seat against AEK and sidelined Antoine Semenyo for 8 weeks, Foden starred connected the near helping earlier switching to the “false nine” relation arsenic the focal constituent of City’s attack.

“It is bully quality for maine due to the fact that you cognize helium is doing good and this is what we privation for galore reasons,” City brag Maresca said.

“First of all, due to the fact that helium is simply a apical subordinate and we cognize that. Happy for him, but besides blessed for the squad that we person 1 much limb that we tin use.”

Foden’s hat-trick volition surely person caught England manager Thomas Tuchel’s oculus arsenic helium prepares to prime his squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain successful November.

Long heralded arsenic 1 of England’s brightest talents, Foden was near retired of his country’s World Cup squad earlier this twelvemonth successful a damning motion of his autumn from grace.

Having ended his tally without a extremity successful the Champions League since November 2025, Foden present has to nutrient nights similar this connected a regular ground to gain the spot of Maresca and Tuchel.