Pep Guardiola did not shy away from delivering a stern assessment of Phil Foden’s display against Crystal Palace, despite the England international getting on the scoresheet in Manchester City’s vital away victory.
Oliver Glasner’s Palace side were unable to cope with a dominant City performance, with Erling Haaland breaking the deadlock shortly before the interval.
Foden found the net after the restart in the 69th minute, before Haaland added a second goal from the penalty spot late on after City were awarded a spot-kick in the 89th minute.
However, despite playing his part in a strong showing that kept City firmly in touch with the Premier League pace-setters, Guardiola insisted there were clear areas of Foden’s game that still require improvement.
‘I know people may think differently but I think Phil today was not good, he didn’t play at his best,’ Guardiola said. ‘He lost a lot of balls, he was in a rush with decisions and was so anxious.
‘He has to keep the ball and be associated with the other ones and in the right moments make explosions that only he has in terms of goals and assists. Before he arrives there, he has to be more calm.
‘But he wants to do it well and sometimes he makes situations not clear but Phil in terms of work ethic defensively, how he presses, how he comes back, he is incredible. Even with my opinion today, one of the best at the end was Phil. He ran maybe the most in the team and scored a goal because close to the box he was unbelievable.
‘He has a lot of margin to understand the game. He will not improve this incredible quality because it is top but understanding the game, the way you have certain moments, the way you have to accelerate or decelerate, just the timing of the tempo he will give it. Everyone has a margin to improve. Everyone.’
Foden has recently enjoyed a resurgence after enduring a slump following his trophy-laden 2023–24 campaign.
That season saw the midfielder scoop the FWA Player of the Year, PFA Players’ Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season awards.
However, his influence waned somewhat last term, with his dip in form coinciding with an inconsistent campaign for Manchester City as a whole.
Once viewed as an automatic pick for England, Foden also slipped down the international pecking order, with Thomas Tuchel leaving him out of three consecutive squads before recalling him in November.
This season, though, there have been clear signs of revival for the 25-year-old, who has scored 10 goals and supplied four assists in 21 appearances in all competitions for City.
Foden has also spoken confidently about City’s title ambitions, stepping up after their dramatic 3-2 victory over Leeds last month to call for improved collective standards.
‘It wasn’t good enough from start to finish, we know that,’ the 25-year-old said. ‘From that moment we spoke to the manager, we changed the way we pressed and played.
‘It was crucial to get together and find the solution. It felt like we were all on different wavelengths. Some were pressing, some were staying. Even on the ball, we were not in good positions to receive it.
‘We have to work on things and get better because when the opponents get better in the later stages of the season, we can’t afford to come out like that because we’re going to lose the league.’
The win at Selhurst Park has ensured Manchester City remain firmly in the title hunt, sitting just two points adrift of Arsenal heading into the festive schedule.