Foden flying under the radar as Man City chase further glory

 

Phil Foden scored for the third game running in Manchester City's 3-0 win over Young Boys on Wednesday night. While much of the focus for City this season has been Julian Alvarez's form in the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku's recent assist haul and their three defeats without Rodri, Foden has quietly been going about his business down the right flank for the defending champions. 

 

The 23-year-old has now scored five and provided four assists in the league and Champions League this season, four of which have come since the start of October - only Erling Haaland (7) has more of all City players over the same period - and he looks the long-term natural successor for Riyad Mahrez out wide. Out of the spotlight, he has re-established himself as a key man under Pep Guardiola. 

 

Last season was set to be the one that Foden really took his game to the next level but Guardiola again used the youngster sparingly. An appendectomy earlier in the year saw Foden sit out a handful of games, but even so; the City man still started just 22 league games. That said, the youngster maximised his time on the pitch as he scored 11 times and provided an additional five assists. 

 

In the wake of Mahrez, and to a lesser extent Cole Palmer's, respective departures, however, Foden is now first choice on the right flank and he is grabbing the chance to consolidate that spot with both hands. A WhoScored rating of 7.24 is the fifth best of all City players in the Premier League this season and fans have bore witness to an increase in attacking responsibilities on this City frontline. Indeed, shots per 90 have risen marginally from 2.2 to 2.3, while there has been a more substantial increase in Foden's key passes per 90, those going from 2.1 last season to 2.5 in 2023/24. 

 

Dribbles per 90 have also dropped from two to 1.8 but the key rise has come in the number of through balls attempted by Foden this season. While flair players have been restricted somewhat by Guardiola in the past, the Spaniard looks to have allowed more freedom on the frontline at the Etihad Stadium. This is not only notable in that Doku has greater license than others before him to attack opponents with the ball at his feet, the Belgian top for dribbles per 90 (4.9) of all City players in a Premier League season under Pep Guardiola, but a rise in the number of through balls Foden has attempted between the two campaigns. 

 

Across 32 appearances last season, Foden attempted four through balls and was accurate with three. In 11 appearances this season, he has already attempted six and been successful with four; only three players can better the latter return this term. Of the 41 players to have attempted three or more through balls this season, only Matheus Cunha (75%) has a better success rate than Foden (66.7%). 

 

 

The success rate has dropped but when taking more risks in possession, that is to be expected. This is likely to be down to De Bruyne's injury and with the Belgian sidelined, Guardiola has asked the collective to shoulder the creative burden rather than rely upon one single player to ensure the 32-year-old's absence doesn't impact City's result. This is evident in that since the 2019/20 Premier League season, only once has a City player that isn't De Bruyne has averaged in excess of two key passes per game in a single campaign, and that was Jack Grealish in the 2021/22 season. 

 

In 2023/24, however, three players - Foden, Alvarez and Bernardo Silva - are all averaging at least two key passes per game. The former is excelling alongside the latter pair with the added combined duty of filling the void left in the absence of De Bruyne. And it's not just on the ball where Foden has showcased this added responsibility. With City seeing less of the ball this season (63.2%) compared to last (65.2%) that has naturally seen the champions work harder out of possession to help ease pressure on the goal. 

 

There has been a rise in City's tackles per game from 12.4 to 13.1, with Foden playing his part in contributing to that increase, with his tackles per 90 rising from 0.8 to 1.2. He's playing fewer passes per 90 but with City's drop in possession combined with Foden's creative numbers that shouldn't come as too much of a shock. 

 

Either way, without the focus on Foden by comparison to his City teammates, his impressive performances for Guardiola's side have snuck under the radar. When De Bruyne pulled up injured in the opening weekend win at Burnley, there were obvious concerns at how City would cover the Belgium international's absence. They're top of the league and have scored more goals (28) than any other Premier League team this season with Foden central to their excellent start to the campaign. It's high-time he received the praise he deserves for his role in the opening 11 league games of the season.

Foden flying under the radar as Man City chase further glory