Flying Phil Foden proves a step ahead of Aston Villa

By Henry Winter

Ever since Phil Foden was with Reddish Vulcans in Stockport, winning a mini-tournament aged eight and receiving a medal, he has had this hunger for trophies. Fast forward 11 years and Foden has six major honours, and his contribution to Manchester City’s success in the Carabao Cup final showed why he is ready to feature even more, not only for his club but also why he deserves recognition by England.

There were moments in this robustly contested, entertaining final when Foden received a pass delivered at speed and the ball settled on his foot like a feather on a cushion. His control was instant and always in anticipation of his next move. He was always on the move, always planning ahead. He was too often a step or thought ahead of Aston Villa.

There were many moments when Villa pressed him closely, trying to ambush him, desperately seeking to force him to surrender possession, and he simply dribbled on or laid the ball off accurately. Villa had nobody to match him, certainly not with Jack Grealish unfortunately soon carrying an injury.

Criticism always froths forth over the number of minutes afforded to Foden by Pep Guardiola, slightly ignoring the coach’s oft-stated response that he will be David Silva’s successor when “Merlin” leaves this summer. The sight of Silva lifting the EFL Cup, an emotional moment for City fans, was also a reminder that the clock counts down to his departure.

Foden stays patient. He is patently ready. Still only 19, Foden has made 24 appearances this season, albeit primarily as a substitute, and is trusted enough by Guardiola that he started here. Of equal importance is that his team-mates, world-class performers such as Kevin De Bruyne, trust him with the ball, even with opponents pressing him. They know he has the touch, composure and courage to take care of the ball, to maintain a move. 

Foden gilded his man-of-the-match display with 71 touches, completing 46 of his 51 passes, winning seven of his ten duels, managing five shots and providing the assist for Sergio Agüero’s goal. It said much for his talent that Foden beat the excellent Rodri, Fernandinho and Agüero to the individual honours.

He played right wing here, giving Matt Targett a relentlessly difficult afternoon. Even at the nascent stage of his career, Foden acquires experience of a range of roles, intensifying his education under Guardiola. In his first start under the City manager, aged 17, Foden filled the left wing back role against Shakhtar Donetsk. He has played the Fernandinho role, deep in central midfield, as well as a more attacking central midfielder and left wing. Foden’s maturing well and is surely a wild-card consideration for Gareth Southgate for Euro 2020.

Foden certainly knows his way around Wembley. He exuded a mix of coltish enthusiasm and thoroughbred decision-making, beginning the game with a silky, sinewy run, withstanding a buffeting, keeping his balance, penetrating deep into Villa’s half. One of City’s tactics here was the long switch, turning the massed ranks of Villa’s defence.

Over on the left, Raheem Sterling was up against Frédéric Guilbert, who closed him down on a couple of occasions, but class will out. After 20 minutes, Sterling progressed before cutting the ball back to Rodri. The moment Rodri addressed the ball, Foden was sprinting, leaving Targett for dead.

As he ran in, Foden checked on Agüero’s position and angled his header back for City’s No 10 to finish, right-footed, through the legs of Tyrone Mings. Joy spread across the face of Foden, a City fan, as he celebrated with Agüero. Five minutes later, Foden controlled Oleksandr Zinchenko’s long switch effortlessly and efficiently as he had touched the ball into a position to shoot. He is still very one-footed, but what a foot. That special left foot connected, sending in a shot which clipped Targett and slipped away for a corner. Foden put in the defensive work, too, rushing back to harry Grealish.

City were just too sharp, too clever, but there was fortune in the way they won the corner that brought their second. The ball came off Ilkay Gündogan, not Grealish, but the officials did not spot it and VAR could not intervene. Villa’s frustration deepened when Rodri was far more determined than Guilbert in meeting Gündogan’s corner and sent a powerful header past Orjan Nyland.

That appeared it, final over, sky blues ribbons at the ready, Foden in charge, yet Villa refused to go quietly and made a game of it four minutes from the break. When John Stones slipped, Anwar El Ghazi nodded the ball on, hoisting in a cross that Mbwana Samatta headed in. Back in Samatta’s homeland of Tanzania, the response was joy unconfined, as fans in Villa shirts sang and danced, holding up “Road to Wembley” and “Villa till I die” placards. One fan had painted “Never Give Up” across his chest with the Villa lion crest. Prepared? They certainly were.

Back at Wembley, up in the smart seats, Prince William beamed his approval. Down in the dugout, Dean Smith turned and punched the air. Villa were back in this, responding to the noise of their magnificent support. Villa lived with the holders in the second half, even when Foden continued to weave his way upfield. During one driving run, Foden was tripped by Targett, but kept going and then pushed over by Mings. He then lurked on the edge of the area at a corner, connecting with a clearance but placing his shot into the ground and just wide.

Foden was turning away from Marvelous Nakamba one moment, the next guiding a pass behind the Villa defence that was almost smiling as it reached its intended target, the substitute De Bruyne.

City had to survive some robust challenges and Nakamba was fortunate to see only yellow from Lee Mason, not red, for flying, both feet off the ground, into Agüero.

Villa kept believing and almost forced extra time. Björn Engels steered a strong header goalwards but Claudio Bravo pushed the ball on to the post. The whistle soon went and Grealish fell to the floor, consoled by Stones and Kyle Walker. Villa formed a huddle, listening to Smith, knowing that their fightback had gone so close, that if they repeat such resilience in the remaining 11 games of the season they should stay up.

For City, this was a welcome bauble, with more serious silverware in the Champions League, especially, and the FA Cup to pursue. Given continuing issues with Uefa and Financial Fair Play, City should take heart, and a glimpse of the future, from the home-grown Foden.

This article originally appeared in The Times; photo: Marc Aspland/The Times