Midfielder Phil Foden just had a top performance against home team Brighton. The 23-year-old British star scored a “double” to contribute to the Green Man’s 4-0 destructive victory over Roberto de Zerbi’s team. He was extremely excellent with a direct free kick and a shot into the far corner that goalkeeper Jason Steele could not stop.
2 goals against Brighton brought Foden’s total number of goals in the Premier League this season to 16. He is only 2 people behind the top scorer list – teammate Erling Haaland and co. Former team Cole Palmer (Chelsea) – 4 goals. Notably, none of Foden’s goals were scored from the penalty spot.
In total, Foden has scored 51 goals in his Premier League career. He became the third student of coach Pep Guardiola, at the age of 23, to score over 50 goals in Europe’s top national leagues. According to Opta statistics, before Foden, only superstar Lionel Messi and striker Erling Haaland achieved such a feat.
Back to the match progress on Brighton’s field in the early morning of April 26. Foden played explosively. Not only did he score a “double”, he also made a strong impression with his tricky dribbles, passes to launch attacks and assists with his extremely high IQ. Needless to say, Man City’s opening goal, scored by midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, came from dropping the ball down the right flank to Foden’s Kyle Walker.
With what he showed against host Brighton, Foden was voted “Best Player” of the match. The website whoscored.com gave the British star 9 points, while all the remaining players on the field were scored below 8 points. Of course, that reward is nothing compared to Foden’s talent and stability this season. It is not an exaggeration to say that the 23-year-old midfielder deserves the “Best Player” award of the 2023/24 season.
Listen to midfielder Kevin de Bruyne comment on Foden’s performance at American Express Stadium: “Coach Pep Guardiola has found a replacement for me to lead Man City’s attacking play. That’s Phil Foden. He has been getting used to this role for six or seven years now. This season, Foden has truly reached new heights.” According to De Bruyne, no midfielder in the Premier League this season (at the age of 23) is better than Foden.
This is not the first time in the 2023/24 season that the England international received praise when coach Pep Guardiola pulled him into the center of the Blue Man’s midfield. Remember when De Bruyne had to take a long break due to injury in the first leg, Foden also often acted as a substitute for the Belgian star. He became the spark for Man City’s attacks, in addition to the moments when he blew up the field with superb goals.
With a “double” contributing to the home team’s 4-0 victory over Brighton, Foden helped Man City surpass Liverpool to take second place in the English Premier League. Currently, the blue half of Manchester is only 1 point behind top team Arsenal, while playing 1 less match. If coach Pep Guardiola’s team successfully defends the Premier League championship, the title of “Best Player” of the season will hardly escape Foden’s hands.
