Phil Foden believes he is moving closer to his best form after scoring three times in Manchester City’s 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens, but the midfielder admits he still has work to do.
The 26-year-old has endured two difficult seasons and a slow start to the current campaign. His recent performances have offered signs of a return to form, with his goal against Ipswich on Saturday followed by his first Champions League goals in almost a year.
“Slowly, but surely,” Foden told TNT Sports when asked if he was getting back to his best. “Still got a long way to go, but I’m going in the right direction.
“Scoring along the way definitely helps. I just want to keep working hard and trying to be the best I can for the manager and the team.”
Foden’s struggles over the past two seasons contributed to him missing out on a place in England’s World Cup squad this summer. Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca, however, has backed the midfielder to make an impact this season and believes his ability has never been in doubt.
“I’ve said since day one, I consider him one of the best English players,” Maresca said. “For different reasons in the last two or three years he was not good enough, but I know how good he is so I’m just trying to help him because we are sure he is going to help us this season.”
City needed a response after their home defeat by Paris Saint-Germain last week, and they delivered against AEK despite Maresca making several changes to his starting line-up. Erling Haaland, who had recently suffered an injury scare, was rested and remained on the bench throughout the match.
Elliot Anderson gave City the lead with his first goal for the club after Enzo Fernandez’s free-kick struck the crossbar. Foden doubled the advantage in the 34th minute after combining with fellow academy graduate Rico Lewis before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli.
Stavros Palios pulled one back for AEK, but Rayan Cherki restored City’s two-goal lead in the 57th minute. Cherki then set up Lewis, who laid the ball off for Foden to score his second of the night.
Foden completed his hat-trick 14 minutes from time when he arrived in the box to convert Ryan McAidoo’s pass. It was his fourth career hat-trick in all competitions and his first since 2024.
The midfielder was pleased with City’s response after their recent setback, although he acknowledged that the performance had not always been straightforward.
“I enjoyed that a lot,” he said. “The lads were great again. We showed determination again. It wasn’t pretty at times. I thought we stuck at the gameplan, we kept going and in the end we broke them down. Overall delighted.”
Foden hopes the goals will help him build confidence as he looks to establish himself again as a key player for City.
“Delighted to score goals,” he said. “I am a forward, so I have to keep scoring and helping the team. It can only be good for my confidence.”
