Manchester City manager hands the 21-year-old the Kevin De Bruyne role in 4-0 win over Leeds but says there is work to be done
LEEDS, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: Phil Foden of Manchester City runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Luke Ayling of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Manchester City at Elland Road on April 30, 2022 in Leeds, England. (Photo by Lewis Storey/Getty Images)
Phil Foden on the ball against Leeds
Pep Guardiola believes Phil Foden will eventually evolve into another David Silva, the man who makes Manchester City tick in the final third of the pitch. The 21-year-old England star gave further evidence of his growing maturity by taking on the Kevin De Bruyne role in the vital 4-0 win at Leeds, and provided two assists and a crucial part in another goal.
But with De Bruyne rested ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid, Foden is expected to revert to a wide role at the Bernabeu. The England international showed another string to his formidable bow by creating two goals from set-pieces to end Leeds’ stiff resistance — a superb free kick onto Rodri’s head for the opener and a far-post corner that Ruben Dias nodded back for Nathan Ake to make it 2-0.
Foden then conjured a slick pass to free Gabriel Jesus for goal number three to end any doubts about the result, another glimpse of a future where he orchestrates play from a central role. De Bruyne is the main man in that role at present, while Bernardo Silva is usually trusted to play it when the Belgian is not in the team.
But with De Bruyne approaching his 31st birthday, Foden is earmarked as the fulcrum of City's future attack; he has long been seen as the natural successor to David Silva. And Guardiola outlined one big addition to his game that Foden needs to make in order to emulate Silva’s brilliant 10-year contribution to the City cause.
“I think he can play in all five positions up front - wingers on both sides, striker and attacking midfielder in the pockets. He can play all of them,” said Guardiola. “With time he will be more capable of playing in the positions in the middle.
“He still does all actions at high speed and sometimes you have to have some pausa. Now he has the energy of youth and maybe winger suits him better a little bit right now.”
The “pausa” is a Spanish term for the ability of slowing down or stopping the game to draw an opponent before instantly speeding it up again, a skill of which Silva was the master. And Guardiola thinks Foden will start to use it more as he matures, having marked him down as a natural attacking central midfielder from the moment he saw him as a kid in the academy.
“I'm pretty sure (he will end up central) because when I started to see him in the academy at 15 or 16 he played the position of Kevin and he played really good,” said the manager. “All the actions are so, so quick.
“I always talk about David Silva, sometimes he slowed the rhythm to increase the rhythm and Phil's rhythm is always high. It's good because it's aggressive and we need it, but sometimes he needs a little more in that position - that is only a question of time, not that he cannot do it because he can do it without a problem.”
Guardiola handed Foden the burden of being the main playmaker in the game, but the City said he has no concerns about putting the onus on the youngster,adding: “Phil has responsibility since day one, he has performed on the biggest stages and important scenarios in important games.
“He loves to play and you see what he does in bad moments. Phil is not a problem.”
With De Bruyne and Riyad Mahrez both held in reserve, Foden was charged with being the main set-piece deliverer, and he fulfilled that with spectacular results, but Guardiola says De Bruyne will assume the role again when he returns at the Bernabeu.
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