Phil Foden Stars in City’s 4-0 Champions League Win

Phil Foden shone for Manchester City in their first Champions League win of the season, contributing a goal and an assist in a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava. After struggling to regain his form from last year when he earned the PFA Player of the Season award, Foden took full advantage of only his second start of the campaign. City started strong when Ilkay Gundogan scored his first goal since returning to the club with a deflected shot in the eighth minute.

Just seven minutes later, Foden opened his account for the season with a composed finish into the bottom corner. City continued to dominate, hitting the woodwork three times through Jeremy Doku, Foden and Gundogan before Erling Haaland calmly slotted home his 11th goal of the season just before the hour mark. Foden then set up substitute James McAtee for his first goal for City in the 74th minute, prompting manager Pep Guardiola to express his delight for the young midfielder.

“All of us are so happy for him,” Guardiola said of McAtee. “We want to make him feel like, ‘you are part of that group, you are able to play.’” Despite Slovan Bratislava’s excitement at hosting the reigning Premier League champions, they struggled to contain City’s attacking prowess throughout the match. The victory marked City’s first in the revamped Champions League format, following a draw against Inter Milan in their opening fixture.

The performance showcased the potential of Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden with the latter hoping this match will kick-start his season as he continues to recover from injury and illness. Guardiola acknowledged Foden’s gradual return, stating, “Step by step he’s coming back.”