The City youngster Phil Foden scored and assisted in Sunday’s victory and earned warm praise from his manager after the game
Phil Foden hailed the work of “genius” Pep Guardiola and outlined his plans to continue improving after inspiring Manchester City to a 3-1 victory against Chelsea.
The England international set up Ilkay Gundogan for City’s first goal in Sunday’s clash and swept home Kevin De Bruyne’s cross for their second just 157 seconds later.
At 20 years and 220 days, he became the second youngest player to score and assist in a Premier League game against Chelsea since Jermain Defoe in September 2002.
Foden has now been directly involved in 14 Premier League goals – finding the net nine times himself and setting up five more for his team-mates.
That is as many as Manchester United legend Paul Scholes managed at the same age, only strengthening comparisons made between the pair.
He completed all 16 of his passes in the opposition half against Chelsea and created four chances, which is more than any other player on the field.
However, having struggled to hold down a place in the side this term, the City academy product is refusing to get too far ahead of himself.
“I still have a lot to learn,” he said. “There’s quality players here. Riyad Mahrez on the bench today could easily play.
“There’s quality players at the club and I just have to keep doing well each time and improving.
“The manager’s praise means a lot when you put 100 per cent into a game. It feels nice. I’m enjoying my football and I want to keep enjoying it.”
Foden started on the left side of a striker-less attack for a City side depleted by a coronavirus outbreak in their camp, leaving them without six squad members for the match.
The Citizens’ victory was their third in a row in the Premier League, moving them to within four points of top spot with a game in hand, but was their first over one of last season’s top-six finishers this term at the fifth attempt.
20y 220d – Phil Foden is the second youngest player to score and assist in a Premier League game against Chelsea, after Jermain Defoe in September 2002 (19y 356d). Precocious. pic.twitter.com/nVrX0w5iCd
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 3, 2021
City dropped off in the second half and Callum Hudson-Odoi pulled one back for Chelsea in stoppage time, though Foden was delighted with his side’s overall display at Stamford Bridge.
“It gives you the confidence, coming here and getting a result how we did,” he said. “It gives everyone confidence in the training room and we want to keep pushing and playing like this more often.
“The first half was brilliant. To be three goals up, it’s not always easy to go into the second half three goals up and play the same way.
“You could probably tell the second half we dropped off a bit and let them have it. Overall it was a great performance and doesn’t put us in a bad position with the games in hand.
“We’ve played good every game but just not finished our chances. Today was a brilliant performance and much more clinical in the final third.
“We had that little break after the last game and maybe that helped us out to have the energy today. It was a great performance, everyone played top today.
“We always have great tactics going into big games like this – Pep’s a genius at things like this.
“As you can tell we played the right way and we definitely done them staying high and wide and going down the flanks. It was something we did well.”
