Phil Foden has 繁栄するd under Pep Guardiola's new 策略, 配達するd on the biggest occasions and SMASHED his best ever goal 一致する... how the England 星／主役にする went from supporting cast to Man City's main man

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Lionel Messi. Andres Iniesta. Robert Lewandowski. The rich 名簿（に載せる）／表（にあげる） of world-class players Pep Guardiola had coached before joining Manchester City was 簡単に astounding.

And yet, three years after penning his move to the Etihad, Guardiola shocked world football with a （人命などを）奪う，主張する that Phil Foden ― then, a 十代の少年少女 who had yet to break into City's 正規の／正選手 starting XI ― was the most talented player he had ever 証言，証人／目撃するd.

'The most talented player I've ever seen,' Guardiola said of Foden in 2019. 'His only problem is いつかs his 経営者／支配人 doesn't put him in the starting XI. Hopefully in the 未来 that can 改善する.'

A 井戸／弁護士席-taken 二塁打 against Brighton on Thursday took the City superstar's goal 一致する to 24 across all 競争s and put last season's Treble 勝利者s a point behind leaders 兵器庫, with a game in 手渡す.

Phil Foden (above) has 急速な／放蕩な become Pep Guardiola's main man at Manchester City this sea son

The England 星／主役にする has netted 24 goals across all 競争s and is 押し進めるing City に向かって an astonishing fourth 連続する 首相 League 肩書を与える, a feat that has never been 達成するd before

The 23-year-old superstar opened up in an 排除的 interview with Mail Sport last week?

Foden has 繁栄するd since 存在 手渡すd the 重要なs at the apex of Manchester City's 星／主役にする-studded midfield, 現れるing a 重要な goal 脅し 有能な of turning up in the biggest matches.

While his 補助装置 numbers have 大部分は remained the same season upon season, Foden's goal 一致する has 急上昇するd since taking up more 前進するd positions on the pitch. Of those who don't take 刑罰，罰則s for their 各々の teams, only Ollie Watkins has 得点する／非難する／２０d more 首相 League goals than the England international.

Foden opened up on his Manchester City 旅行 from ball boy to 重要な player during an 排除的 interview with Mail Sport's IAN LADYMAN last week.

'It's been hard いつかs, you know, 存在 the City fan who was a ball boy and then making it through the levels to the first team,' Foden explained.

'I don't think it will ever really change you know? A little bit of that feeling is always gonna be there. But I have balance now. Maybe it's finally gone this year, I don't know.

'The challenge for me was always a mountain to climb to even reach the first team. In my 長，率いる I just 手配中の，お尋ね者 to make one 外見 for this club and be able to say that I had done it.

'But once I did that I thought: 'No I can 現実に play here. I can 扱う the 基準'.

'Now I am at that 行う／開催する／段階 where I feel like I am a 重要な player in the team. I feel very comfortable with that.'

にもかかわらず frequently chopping and changing his luxurious squad,?Guardiola always seems to have one player he perceives as his main man.?

Last season, Erling Haaland only 行方不明になるd three 首相 League matches and two 支持する／優勝者s League games en 大勝する to the Treble.

Think 支援する to the season before, when pundits were 尋問 City's ruthlessness 事前の to 調印 a recognised striker, and De Bruyne was Guardiola's 信用d 重要な man, continually called upon to operate every attacking 役割 from 誤った nine to midfield quarterback.

Until recently, Julian Alvarez appeared to be that per manent feature of the Manchester City attack, starting every 選び出す／独身 首相 League match under Guardiola until February. The Argentine, who himself has still had a wonderful season, was then not selected against 肩書を与える 競争相手s 兵器庫 in March ― and his 最近の return has been as a result of Haaland's absence through 傷害.

But Foden's electric form and impressive goal 一致する ― which 含むs two 素晴らしい hat-tricks against Brentford and Aston 郊外住宅?― has made the 23-year-old 星／主役にする undroppable in the 注目する，もくろむs of Guardiola. He has started 29 of City's 33 league matches so far, （法廷の）裁判d only in matches against Bournemouth, 水晶 Palace, Luton and Sheffield 部隊d.

Guardiola (left), who in 2019 referred to Foden as the most talented player he has ever coached にもかかわらず managing Lionel Messi, has tweaked his 策略 to get the best out of his 星／主役にする

Foden celebrates after 得点する／非難する／２０ing in Manchester City's 4-0 勝利，勝つ over Brighton on Thursday night

But perhaps most importantly, Foden has 配達するd for Guardiola in the biggest occasions. His 素晴らしい second-half equaliser against Real Madrid in the 支持する／優勝者s League matched his sublime 全体にわたる 業績／成果 on the night. にもかかわらず City later 衝突，墜落ing out in the second 脚, it was a moment that 証明するd Foden could 配達する at the エリート level.

Stretching the pitch and utilising width has always been a feature of Guardiola's 策略. By 軍隊ing the 対立 out wide, the Spanish boss looks to create as much space as possible in the midfield for his playmakers to operate, which is why the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan have all enjoyed success in the Man City engine room.

The 役割 of those （軍隊を）展開する，配備するd out wide is to draw players out and create space rather than 与える／捧げる 直接／まっすぐに with goals and 補助装置s.?

Jack Grealish, for example, is an 専門家 at this, にもかかわらず struggling for form by his usual high 基準s this season.

Last （選挙などの）運動をする, ーするために 融通する Haaland 負かす／撃墜する the middle, Foden was often asked to play this 役割 on the 権利 側面に位置する, mirroring Grealish on the left, rather than drifting inside into more central areas. As a result, his goal 脅し was 妨害するd.

A few 戦術の tweaks this season has unshackled Foden and given him licence to roam more 自由に.

Firstly, Kyle Walker has played a more 前進するd 役割 this season, overlapping on the 権利 手渡す 味方する to support the attack, while Josko Gvardiol or Nathan Ake sit deeper in the left-支援する position to 持つ／拘留する 形態／調整 in defence.

Walker's marauding runs enable Foden or Bernardo Silva ― who also frequently lines up on the 右翼 ― to 削減（する） inside and overload the half spaces in between the 対立's defence and midfield, an area in which City continually wreak havoc.?

Also, since the arrival of a 本物の 的 今後 in Haaland, De Bruyne has more 推論する／理由 to float on to the 右翼 during the build-up, occasionally overlapping on the 側面に位置するs ーするために 配達する one of his trademark crosses into the 刑罰，罰則 area.

When these two play と一緒に him, Foden is able to 焦点（を合わせる） on 支配するing the centre of the pitch ― where he is no 疑問 more 破滅的な for City ― rather than 持つ／拘留するing width on the 権利 手渡す 味方する.

The England international has turned up in the biggest moments for Man City this season, netting a 素晴らしい equaliser against Real Madrid in the 支持する／優勝者s League last month

England 経営者／支配人 Gareth Southgate will rely ひどく on Foden at the European 選手権s

After climbing to new 高さs with Man City, Gareth Southgate and England will hope Foden raises his game on the international 行う／開催する／段階 at this summer's European 支持する／優勝者s hips, with the 23-year-old almost a shoe-in to start for the Three Lions in Germany.

The next 実験（する） for Foden comes against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with 肩書を与える favourites City still under 圧力 to 勝利，勝つ every game 予定 to 兵器庫's はびこる form.

Foden's form, no 疑問, will have a seismic 衝撃 on the 肩書を与える race.?