Pep Guardiola says he has by no means doubted Phil Foden’s high quality on the sphere after the teen marked his return to the Manchester Metropolis aspect with the one aim in opposition to Brentford.
Foden completed beautifully from a Kevin De Bruyne cross to attain his fifth Premier League aim of the marketing campaign and hearth Metropolis to a 1-0 victory in Wednesday’s conflict in west London.
The 21-year-old, together with Jack Grealish, had been disregarded of Metropolis’s line-up for his or her earlier two matches after being warned about his off-the-field behaviour by Guardiola.
That got here after the pair have been pictured in a nightclub mingling with others with out carrying a masks a day earlier than collaborating in a restoration coaching session.
However Foden was again in Guardiola’s good books because of his match-winning second on the Brentford Neighborhood Stadium, with that aim taking Metropolis eight factors clear on the high.
“Distinctive,” Guardiola instructed Amazon Prime when requested in regards to the performances of Foden and De Bruyne in assault.
“With Foden, he’s already a soccer participant. We by no means had any doubts about his high quality. We knew it. Since he got here to play with us, all the time he’s been distinctive.”
Foden was fielded in a false 9 place he’s now changing into accustomed to and scored from one in every of his two makes an attempt in opposition to Brentford, the aim allowed to face after a VAR verify for a doable offside.
At 21 years and 215 days, Foden grew to become the second-youngest Metropolis participant to attain 20 Premier League objectives after team-mate Gabriel Jesus (21y, 40d).
5 of these strikes have are available 921 minutes of motion this season – the equal of simply over 10 complete video games – every from his left foot.
Requested about his most popular place within the aspect, Foden mentioned: “Wherever the supervisor places me, I’ll do my greatest for the staff. I began on the left. It’s good, I’m adaptable.
“I’ve have a number of objectives this yr which were dominated offside so I wasn’t too assured about this one. I believed I went a bit too early, however thank god the aim counted.
“I’m actually completely happy. There have been a number of after I went a bit early and was offside. We may have received by extra. We stored working onerous.”
Metropolis weren’t at their greatest however did sufficient to make the most of Liverpool’s defeat at Leicester Metropolis on Tuesday and Chelsea’s house draw with Brighton and Hove Albion elsewhere on Wednesday.
All 5 earlier sides to be eight factors forward at first of a brand new calendar yr have gone on to win the Premier League title, together with Metropolis themselves in 2017-18.
Regardless of having racked up 10 wins on the spin for the fourth time beneath Guardiola, he takes nothing as a right.
“There are 54 factors left to play,” he mentioned. “So while you put it on this perspective eight factors is ridiculous.
“However we’ve received ten video games in a row and that is one in every of our targets. We don’t have a lot time and on January 1 we play Arsenal, who’re one the most effective groups proper now on kind.”