Phil Foden has often been a player for the big games in a Manchester City shirt but, as Pep Guardiola's side prepare to face Arsenal in a Premier League top of the table clash this week, the forward may well find himself among the subs.
He has not completed 90 minutes in the league since before the World Cup and has only started 13 league games this season. Guardiola left him out of the squad at Spurs before he came off the bench in the win over Aston Villa at the weekend.
Foden seems to have fallen behind both Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez in the pecking order in recent weeks. We take a look at the reasons why?
Season so far
Considering he's made 28 appearances and is City’s third top scorer with nine goals, it's not been a bad return for the forward. Guardiola described him in 2019 as 'the most talented player' he had seen at his age and there were signs of that talent earlier in the season.
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He netted an impressive hat-trick in the 6-3 demolition of Man United and his combination with Erling Haaland for his second and third goals appeared to be an ominous sign for the rest of the league. Yet since then, Foden has played 90 minutes just once in the league and prior to the World Cup questions were being raised as to why one of England’s brightest sparks was not starting matches.
Guardiola's justification was protecting Foden and managing the career of the 22-year-old. He is, after all, still a young player, even if it's hard to comprehend given the magnitude of games he has under his belt.
This term, like seasons before, Foden has played off both flanks and shifted within games to accommodate Grealish and Mahrez. The Stockport born star has looked at his most dangerous when allowed to drift in from the left but in the absence of Joao Cancelo he has looked more isolated. When the Portuguese full back was at the club it meant when Foden came inside the width was provided by Cancelo.
General ability
It's felt a bit like City have moved Foden around to accommodate other players. City attacks revolve around Erling Haaland and with Mahrez, Grealish and Julian Alvarez providing a depth of attacking options, Foden has to be versatile. In the FA Cup third round tie against Chelsea, he played on the left of the central three, with the extra defensive responsibility highlighting the trust Guardiola has in him.
His ability is unquestionable. He is technically accomplished and boasts a passing accuracy of 80 per cent while he's shown an ability to play as a false nine as well as across the front three. He ranks in the 85th percentile for touches in the opposition box and the 89th percentile for non-penalty goals with 0.44 per 90.
Guardiola man-management
The City boss has started Foden in 24 top flight games last season, and he was trusted with the big occasions. In that regard, it's not been dissimilar to this campaign with Foden starting at Anfield and in both matches against Man United.
He may well have to make do with a place on the bench on Wednesday at Arsenal but will certainly have a role to play as a replacement. Regardless of recent weeks, you sense Foden's time this season will come.
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