Pep Guardiola says Phil Foden is back to his best after scoring twice in the side’s 4-1 Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund.
Both goals were brilliant and the low points came as City eased past a Bundesliga side they have only lost once this season.
This is the first time Foden has scored two goals in a Champions League match. All four of his shots (tied with Erling Haaland for the most in this match) were on target and 50% were goals.
After a difficult 2024/25 season for both player and club, both now appear to be returning to their previous best, with Champions League glory among their three trophies in 2022/23.
“I’m glad Erling didn’t score!” Guardiola said after Wednesday’s win:
Phil Foden celebrates after scoring his second goal for Manchester City against Borussia Dortmund.
“Phil is back! How many times, over the years, have we seen goals like this from Phil? We missed a lot of them last season and this season too. I think he will help us a lot.
“He has the confidence to score these types of goals where you don’t need a hard shot. All you have to do is keep the ball close to the post and it’s like passing it into the net. Phil is fantastic.”
“There’s no need to say much as long as Phil is happy, loved and happy. He’s a special player, but we need goals from him and hopefully this is the first step towards that.”
Foden himself said he was enjoying playing football again. TNT Sports: “I really like it. I need to play with a smile on my face and I’m doing that.
“Last year was a difficult year, not just for me but for everyone. This season there was a new unity and as you can see today, Dortmund caused us some problems. They are a good team, but we stuck to the game plan and put our talent at the forefront and knocked them down.”
Foden will be hoping to bring the same spark to Manchester City as he did against Liverpool in the Premier League. Super SundayBefore the international break begins.
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Will Foden return to the England national team?
Phil Foden last played for England in March.
Foden’s star turn on Wednesday evening comes at a crucial time with Thomas Tuchel announcing his next England squad on Friday.
Foden last played for England in March 2025 and was included in Tuchel’s first Three Lions squad. However, he has not participated in the last three camps.
Asked about a possible England call-up, Guardiola added: “Thomas is really smart and knows exactly what the national team needs.”
“I think Thomas knows Phil perfectly. Phil wants to do better, do better, play better. The national team is different like the team. The national team is a short time to make a team when you are not in the team.
“There is no one in this country or the world who does not know his qualities and abilities, but England are lucky to have such good players in this position.”
“So Phil has to push himself to get better and better because when he gets the call he can say, ‘Okay, I’m going to show you how good I am.’”
England are full of places for the talented Foden and any squad announcement will inevitably leave out talented players.
However, in this season’s Premier League, Foden created a joint fourth-highest number of chances (20), and Everton’s loanee Jack Grealish (21) was the only English player to rank higher than Foden in that metric.
Of course, there is much more than statistics for Tuchel to consider when selecting his latest squad, but Foden has caught the eye as he looks to reclaim his place in England’s starting XI.
