Manchester City kept their Premier League title defence breathing on Wednesday night, dispatching Crystal Palace 3-0 at the Etihad to move within two points of leaders Arsenal.
In a game defined by squad depth, it was Phil Foden who stole the show, earning glowing praise from Pep Guardiola for providing the kind of inspiration “that cannot be drawn up on a tactics board.”
Despite Guardiola making six changes with Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea looming, City remained relentless.
Foden, making a rare start, proved to be the difference-maker, recording two sublime assists. His first was a moment of pure magic – a crafty back-heel that set up Antoine Semenyo for the opener – before he turned provider again for Omar Marmoush to double the lead.
“You need the quality, the spark, the talent, the vision, something,” Guardiola said of Foden.
“It’s not in the tactical boards, it’s not in the meetings, it’s not in the videos, it’s not even the training. (Foden) receives the ball in small spaces and creates something.”
The 25-year-old’s performance comes at a crucial time, both for club and country. While Foden is considered a long shot for Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad due to limited minutes this term, his display served as a timely reminder of his world-class ceiling.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Foden remained humble about his role in the squad: “I’ve had a good first half of the season, dropped off a bit, then struggled to find my place. You have to be patient, train as hard as you can, and when you get your moment, you have to take it.”
The victory ramps up the pressure on Arsenal, who take Burnley on Monday. If the Gunners slip, City must then overcome a Bournemouth side currently on a staggering 16-game unbeaten run, before a final-day showdown against Aston Villa on May 24.
“The aim is to keep pushing and keep them on their toes,” Foden added.
“We’ve seen a lot of things can happen on the final day. I’ve experienced it many times when the game doesn’t go your way. We just have to keep pushing and doing our part.”
“Today City were much better than we were, were too good for us,” Palace manager Oliver Glasner, whose side are 15th on 44 points, said. “If you want to get the point, or even more, here at Etihad, you need a top performance, and we couldn’t deliver a top performance today.”
