Foden fires in his bid to gate-crash final parties

CITY threw a party on Sunday and Phil Foden is doing his best to crash a few for the two upcoming finals.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

Pep Guardiola had to deal with the aftermath of City celebrations over the weekend, travelling down to Brighton without Manu Akanji, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias, and Aymeric Laporte.

The first three of those would expect to start against United and Inter, yet Foden could still have a say.

It was two years ago on this ground where he scored an outstanding solo goal to highlight what an outstanding talent he already was. It was largely forgotten because the Blues had already won the Premier League and were focusing on their upcoming Champions League final, of which Foden had not done enough to start.

It is a surprise that someone of Foden's talent finds himself in the same position in 2023, still an outsider to the best XI after Guardiola found happiness in a pressing machine that involves Grealish and Bernardo Silva on the wings.

However, Foden was one of the best on the pitch against Chelsea on Sunday when he got his opportunity and was easily the best on the away team at Brighton.

The goal was straightforward, providing a firm finish to Erling Haaland's pass after Riyad Mahrez's chip over the top had caught the home defence out. Haaland notched his eighth Premier League assist for the season, taking him to join-teighth in the listings among peers including Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bruno Fernandes.

Haaland should have been on the scoresheet before then, somehow heading over a gaping goal in the sixth minute after Foden had dribbled his way into the box and chipped the ball deliciously over to the back post.

Midway through the first half, Foden had the vision to set Haaland scampering through on goal but again he erred as a touch took him too close to goalkeeper Jason Steele.