It’s been a little while since we’ve seen the Foden that won 2023-24’s Premier League Player of the Season having bagged 19 goals and provided eight assists in 35 appearances. Last season he looked like shell of his former self.
With a brace against Borussia Dortmund in City’s 4-1 Champions League win on Wednesday (November 5), it’s starting to look like the Foden we know and love is back, and his timing couldn’t have been any better.
Rumours were swirling that the 25-year-old was out of Thomas Tuchel’s England plans, but now he’s back with the squad, hoping to make a good impression ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Helping fill a Kevin de Bruyne shaped hole
Losing a player as good as De Bruyne would affect any team on the planet, few are as uniquely equipped to deal with such an exit as Man City. Rayan Cherki was brought in to add a spark alongside Foden, who has been trusted to become their new main man.
An early injury took Cherki out of the game somewhat, although he is also starting to look like a fantastic addition, so Foden has been the player Pep Guardiola has trusted to play behind their giant Norwegian goal machine more often than not.
Other than Erling Haaland, City’s squad have done little in front of goal so far this season, but Foden stands out as the best of the rest, creating a joint highest 20 chances, an expected assists (xA) of 1.5, and 16 successful crosses in his eight Premier League appearances.
The 3-1 win over Bournemouth is his standout league appearance so far, not only providing the assist for fellow academy graduate Nico O'Reilly’s goal, but starring in the number ten role, a position he is starting to make his own.
Where does he fit in for England?
It’s a question that plagued Gareth Southgate throughout his time as England manager. Is Foden a number ten? If so, why does Guardiola keep playing him on the wings? But, if he’s a winger, why does he keep wanting to drift inside?
The fact is, Foden always had players ahead of him in the number ten. First it was David Silva, then it was Bernardo Silva, and finally Kevin de Bruyne, and it’s hard to argue that the Englishman should have started ahead of those players in their prime.
One could probably say the same for England. IF Foden wants to be playing in that number ten role, he’ll have to compete with Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer, and even Morgan Rogers, who appears to be a Tuchel favourite.
There isn’t exactly a bunch of evidence to suggest he can bring home the good for England either. Just four goals in 45 appearances at international level for a player for Foden’s quality simply isn’t good enough, but he’ll know that better than anyone.
It’s hard to say that a player such as Phil Foden needs to prove something, but he does. He needs to show Tuchel why he should be starting ahead of all those aforementioned players, thankfully for him he has an incredible platform to do so.
What is Thomas Tuchel saying about Phil Foden?
Speaking after he announced the England squad for the upcoming November international break, Tuchel echoed that he see’s Foden as a number ten and gave us a better idea of how he may seek to use him going forward.
“I don't see him as a winger at the moment,” he said.
“Phil, where he played now lately against Dortmund to us where I see him the strongest. Close to the opponent's box, maybe a mix between the nine and the 10 close to the opponent's box. For me, Phil scores and assists more from the 18-yard box, where he scored against Dortmund. He's on the half turn and he assists, he's in the pockets.
"So I think the main thing with Phil is that he gets a role in the central part of the pitch. I don't see him as a winger at the moment. Maybe not anymore. He should have a central role. I think that brings out his strengths the most.
"We talked about this already with him. So he will contribute, as a nine-and-a half, 10-and-a-half ish and position, very fluid, but in the middle of the pitch to be to be close to the box, be able to assist and and to score like he did against Dortmund.”
Verdict
Foden has so much ability and he’s brimming with confidence at Man City. No disrespect to Southgate, but England now have one of the best tactical minds at the helm to get the best out of a set of players any nation would envy.
Tuchel’s will be with England for a good time not a long time, if he doesn’t believe Foden will contribute how he wants him to, Foden won’t be picked. It’s not up to the player to show what he can do.