Pep Guardiola says Phil Foden is just like player Man City sold for £42.5m

Pep Guardiola says Phil Foden is just like player Man City sold for £42.5m

Pep Guardiola raved about Phil Foden after Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth – and likened him to Cole Palmer.

 

City got back to within a point of Liverpool with the win. Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Newcastle United means there are just two points separating the top three, and the title race this season is certainly one of the most exciting in years.

 

It was a good performance from City down at the Vitality Stadium, with Bournemouth proving a tough nut to crack.

 

But it was Phil Foden who came in clutch, scoring after 24 minutes by following in after Erling Haaland forced a save from goalkeeper Neto.

 

That was Foden’s 16th goal of the season so far, meaning he has now equalled the 16 he got in the 2020/21 season, which was the most prolific campaign of his career.

 

He has been simply sensational, and Pep Guardiola has talked up his goalscoring touch…

 

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Pep Guardiola praises Phil Foden’s goalscoring ability and makes Cole Palmer reference

AFC Bournemouth v Manchester City – Premier League

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Foden’s numbers this season have been incredible.

 

16 goals by the end of February is a fantastic achievement and it’s exciting to think about what he could finish on – pundit Danny Murphy recently predicted that he would finish with at least 20 and that is now looking a very real possibility.

 

 

He certainly looks much more accomplished in front of goal these days, and after the game on Saturday, Guardiola spoke about Foden’s eye for a goal. And the manager says it’s a trait he also saw in Cole Palmer.

 

He said (via Hayters TV): “He’s young and can improve. Always I have the feeling he has a sense of goal, can score. I met him when he was 16, a little bit like Cole Palmer; when they arrive, always I have the feeling they can score. And Phil has this incredible ability…

 

“I think in the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, he played really good and he understands more the game and his work ethic and how he runs and everything. He’s becoming a top, top-class player!”

 

 

Pundit Don Hutchison also likened Foden to Palmer – who City sold for £42.5 million last summer – after Saturday’s game, although for him it was more about how the two players are both brilliant at taking the ball on the back foot.

 

Foden turning out to be an Ilkay Gundogan replacement

So it’s 16 and counting now for Foden, and it’s been brilliant to watch him pop up with so many goals this season for City.

 

Pep mentioned how Palmer also had a goal in him, but Foden is seemingly more comparable to Ilkay Gundogan at the moment, given the way he’s scoring goals from central attacking midfield positions.

 

His goal on Saturday against Bournemouth was very much out of the Gundogan catalogue in the way he ghosted into the box looking for an opportunity.

 

Should he continue his form though until the end of the season, it will certainly be hard to look past him as being City’s player of the season. The way he’s performed in the absence of key players, but also since those key players have returned, means he has a solid case.