Phil Foden struck a hat-trick as Manchester City swept aside AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium, offering fresh evidence that the England playmaker’s difficult spell may be coming to an end.
Foden had been without a goal in the Champions League since November 2025 and had not scored at all for 10 months before finding the net in Saturday’s Premier League victory over Ipswich. His display against AEK marked a striking continuation of that return to form as City recovered from last week’s defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.
The 26-year-old has endured a turbulent period, including struggles with his mental health and a loss of favour under former City manager Pep Guardiola. This season he was also sent off during the win at Manchester United and has had to compete for a place in Enzo Maresca’s starting side.
With Erling Haaland left on the bench and Antoine Semenyo sidelined for eight weeks by injury, Foden initially operated on the left wing before moving into a false-nine role. He took advantage of the opportunity to become the focal point of City’s attack.
“It is good news for me because you know he is doing well and this is what we want for many reasons,” Maresca said.
“First of all, because he is a top player and we know that. Happy for him, but also happy for the team that we have one more weapon that we can use.”
Foden’s three goals are likely to have attracted the attention of England manager Thomas Tuchel, who is preparing to name his squad for Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain in November.
Once regarded as one of England’s brightest prospects, Foden was omitted from the country’s World Cup squad earlier this year. He will now need to produce performances of the quality shown against AEK consistently if he is to regain the confidence of both Maresca and Tuchel.
