Phil Foden ended a long wait for a telling contribution on Wednesday night, setting up Manchester City’s first two goals in a 3-0 win over Crystal Palace that kept Pep Guardiola’s side two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal. The 25-year-old had not scored in 27 matches and had been starting far less often in the league, but he returned to the lineup and immediately changed the game.
Foden’s influence was obvious from the first half, when he delivered two assists for the first time in a Premier League match and the first time he had set up two goals in a City game since December 2023. His latest goal before this match had come on 14 December in the reverse fixture against Palace, and Wednesday’s start was only his third in his past 13 league games and his first since 4 March. This was not a player drifting through a routine night. It was a player taking his chance when City needed one.
Guardiola made six changes to his starting line-up with Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea in mind, leaving Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku out of the starting side. Even with the shuffle, City had enough to control Palace and keep the pressure on Arsenal in the title race. The win mattered because it arrived at the end of a season in which City have had to manage both their pursuit of the league and the demands of a cup final only days away.
Foden, who scored 10 times in 48 appearances for City this season, said he had to wait, train hard and be patient as he fought his way back into the team. He said he felt he had a strong first half of the season before his form dipped and he struggled to find his place. One of his passes on Wednesday drew loud praise from Jamie Redknapp, who called it the “assist of the season,” while Micah Richards said, “This is why I love him,” and added that the backheel was “sensational.”
That reaction tells the story as much as the scoreline. City got a needed three points, but Foden also reminded Guardiola what he can still do when the ball comes his way. With Chelsea next on Saturday in the FA Cup final, City now have a selection problem that looks a lot like a luxury.
