- Phil Foden produced a masterclass on Wednesday night, scoring a hat-trick as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Villa 4-1
- Guardiola had raised eyebrows by benching Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne but it was Foden’s masterclass that stole the show in the end
Phil Foden produced a masterclass on Wednesday night during the Man City vs Aston Villa match, scoring a treble as Pep Guardiola’s side beat Villa 4-1.
Rodri opened the scoring for City inside eleven minutes before Foden scored his first goal in first half’s stoppage time. The 23-year-old then scored two quick goals in the second period to complete his hat-trick in stunning fashion. Villa’s only goal of the match was scored by Jhon Duran in the first period.
Man City vs Aston Villa. Photo/ Sky Sports.
Guardiola had raised eyebrows by benching Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne but it was Foden’s masterclass that stole the show in the end.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola praised Foden describing him as a top-class player who is so special.
“He can do whatever he wants. I think he is a really top-class player. We know it. He has to be focused, sometimes he is a bit distracted. But he has a natural talent a gift, a gift that is special. And, after, an incredible sense of goal. You have the feeling he is going to score. It is not easy to find it. That is why he is so special.” Pep Guardiola said after the Man City vs Aston Villa match, as per Sky Sports.
Despite the big victory against Villa, the result was not enough to take the defending champions to the top of the Premier League standings as Arsenal also won their Wednesday night fixture against Luton Town 2-0. However, they did move to second place and are level on points with Liverpool, who will be playing Sheffield United today (Thursday).
Manchester City will travel to Crystal Palace on Saturday before facing La Liga giants Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa remain fourth on the standings after Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham drew on Tuesday. Next up for Unai Emery’s side is Brentford on Saturday at Villa Park.
How The Man City Vs Aston Villa Match Unfolded
In team news, Pep Guardiola decided to drop Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne to the bench and handed Jack Grealish his first Premier League start in 2024. Unai Emery, on the other hand, replaced Emiliano Martinez with Robin Olsen just before kick-off as the World Cup winner suffered an injury.
Despite City lacking Haaland and De Bruyne, there were expectations that they would secure a routine victory at Etihad Stadium. The Cytizens got into business immediately the match started and were rewarded for their brilliant play in the eleventh minute when Jeremy Doku raced down the right wing and then passed the ball to Rodri who fired the ball into the roof of the net. It was his eighth goal of the season.
Villa then slowly got into the game and levelled the scores in the 20th minute, thanks to a neat one-two play between Jhon Duran and Morgan Rodgers, with the former being the goalscorer.
Julian Alvarez missed a good opportunity on the other end but City didn’t have to wait long before going in front again. Foden’s free-kick in the 45th minute went through the wall to ensure City were leading at half-time. Emery was obviously not happy with the way Nicolo Zaniolo broke from the wall, allowing the ball to arrow past him and into the back of the net.
Kevin De Bruyne were on the bench as Phil Foden ran the show for City. Photo/ Sky Sports.
Villa came back from the break determined to level the scores, with Stefan Ortega being forced to make good saves to deny Douglas Luiz and Clement Lenglet.
However, their momentum was slowed down in the 62nd minute when Foden scored from outside the box to give City a 3-1 lead. The England international then latched onto a loose ball on the edge of the box to complete his hat-trick and give City a 4-1 victory.
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