‘Frustrated’ Foden ‘got Man City out of jail’

After scoring twice, Joe Hart, a former Manchester City goalkeeper, said midfielder Phil Foden “stepped up” for Pep Guardiola’s side.

The 25-year-old scored the first of his two goals just 59 seconds into the game, making it City’s first league goal at Etihad Stadium since David Silva’s 52-second strike against Watford in September 2019.

And Foden struck in the 91st minute to seal the victory, which helped his side stay in line with Arsenal’s four-point lead, after Pep Guardiola’s side stunned twice in the second half to shock Pep Guardiola’s side and draw level.

Hart told Match of the Day that “he got them out of jail, but he got them out of jail with absolute quality.”

He stepped up for Manchester City and was absolutely purring.

After five games without a goal, Foden claimed he wanted to “prove to myself that I can still score goals.”

Foden told Sky Sports after the victory that he was “so hungry to play today to prove to myself that I can still score goals”.

“I’ve been a little irritated, and it was my wish to fix it,” said one woman, “and I was delighted to put two things right today.”

The England international had only scored once in the Premier League season so far this year, in the 3-0 derby victory over Manchester United on September 14.

Foden scored 19 goals before scoring seven last season, six of which came in four games at the start of 2025, making it his most productive year at City from 2023 to 2024.

He did, however, score twice in the Champions League opener 4-1 against Borussia Dortmund earlier this month before continuing his reign of dominance against Leeds, which saw momentum fluctuate frequently.

Foden sums up the action, calling it “one of the wildest games.”

“We had complete control,” he declared. In the second half, the system was changed, and we couldn’t seem to get things moving.

The manager reunited us after a frustrating half to help us adjust to their formation, and we immediately started playing.

“We put a lot of pressure on, and I finally managed to get my shot off and find the bottom of the net.” Really pleased with it, but there are still areas we can improve.

City, who lost to Newcastle in their previous encounter, will hope Arsenal can defeat Chelsea on Sunday in a bid to stay within striking distance of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.

A title race is never straightforward, Foden claimed.

There are always ups and downs and times when you struggle to move forward and find success. We recently had that, and I’m impressed by the young people’s resolve to persevere. In the end, the conviction and cohesion prevailed.

With another impressive performance, Foden would have saved no time in making England’s 2026 World Cup squad.

Before Thomas Tuchel recalled him to the national team earlier this month, the City playmaker had not played for England since March and had not been selected for any of the three England squads.

However, he only appeared in his place in the victories over Serbia and Albania, taking the place of Harry Kane, the captain, and Declan Rice, the midfielder.

After recalling Foden, Tuchel had stated, “Philip scores and gets more assists from the 18-yard box.”

“He gets a role in the center of the pitch, which is what makes him stand out.” He no longer qualifies as a winger, in my opinion. He ought to play a central role that maximizes his advantages.

And Foden’s performance backed up Tuchel’s assertions, as he scored the opener with a well-timed run into the box before firing a sharp finish into the bottom corner to earn the three points.

Guardiola, the city manager, said, “Not the first time we saw that.”

He has done it “many times since he came up with us.” I am aware of the quality in those terms. He has powerful shooting. He is able to simply net the ball.

Phil “must be in the box,” Phil says. His completion is so quick. Phil is having a really good season, in my opinion.

On BBC Radio 5 Live, former Chelsea and Arsenal striker Ellen White praised Foden as “phenomenal” and “exceptional,” while former England international Chris Sutton described Foden’s second goal as “a wonderful piece of individual skill.”

White told BBC Final Score, “That was just outstanding, how he moves.”

He glided and used his body as he passed three players. His gravity is unmatched. to slam his left foot into the bottom right corner.

“From the right to the left, it’s beautiful.” It’s beautiful how he glides with the ball.

In England’s current system, Tuchel previously stated that Jude Bellingham, Foden, and Kane, respectively, cannot start together.