Foden speaks after Champions League hat-trick: 'I'm on the right track'
Hat-trick hero Phil Foden believes he is "on the right track" after Manchester City's 5-1 win over AEK Athens, but admits he still has a long way to go to hit his best form.
Phil Foden, the star of the show with a hat-trick in Manchester City's 5-1 win over AEK Athens, said he believes he is "on the right track" but admitted there is still a long way to go before he reaches his best form.
Foden, who stole the show at the Etihad Stadium, became only the third Englishman to score a hat-trick and provide an assist in a Champions League match, after Wayne Rooney (September 2004, for Manchester United against Fenerbahçe) and Raheem Sterling (October 2019, for City against Atalanta).
Elliot Anderson opened the scoring in the 12th minute, and Foden made it 2-0 at the end of the first half after a one-two with Rico Lewis. AEK cut the deficit to 1 through Stavros Pilios right at the start of the second half, but the response was swift: Rayan Cherki's moment of individual brilliance restored the hosts' 2-goal lead.
Foden then sealed the victory with 2 goals in 11 minutes. Completing his hat-trick from a Lewis pass, the England international has now scored in 2 consecutive games after ending a 35-match goal drought. The 26-year-old, who led the attack in the absence of Erling Haaland, who started on the bench, had managed only 3 direct goal contributions (1 goal, 2 assists) in his previous 7 appearances in all competitions before this game.
It was also the first Champions League hat-trick for Manchester City since Haaland put 5 goals past RB Leipzig in March 2023.
Asked after the match whether he was back to his best, Foden said: "I'm getting there slowly but surely. I've still got a long way to go, but I'm heading in the right direction. Scoring goals definitely helps in that process. I just want to keep working hard and do my best for the manager and the team. I really enjoyed the game. My team-mates were brilliant again and we showed real determination out there. Even when it got difficult at times, we stuck to our plan and eventually broke their resistance."
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca stressed that he had never doubted Foden's ability: "I've said it from day one, I see him as one of the best English players. For various reasons he may have been some way off the expected level recently, but I know what a quality player he is. I'm trying to help him because we are sure he will make a big contribution for us this season."
The win over AEK was Maresca's 10th victory in his 12th game in all competitions this season, putting him alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola, Unai Emery, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Arne Slot as managers to reach 10 wins in 12 games or fewer with a club in the Premier League era (since 1992-93). Most importantly, Manchester City are back to winning ways in the Champions League.