Phil Foden makes history as Manchester City cruise to 5-0 win in FA Cup
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Manchester City's Phil Foden celebrates scoring his second goal in the 5-0 FA Cup third-round win over Huddersfield Town on Jan 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – He might be just 23, but Phil Foden on Jan 7 became the only player to find the net in the FA Cup proper for the last six consecutive seasons.
He broke the deadlock for holders Manchester City in the 33rd minute of their 5-0 FA Cup third-round win over Championship side Huddersfield Town after he collected Julian Alvarez’s deflected shot and sent a rasping drive past goalkeeper Lee Nicholls.
His second goal was even better, running onto a flick back by Mateo Kovacic during a neat corner routine before placing the ball into the corner of the net from outside the box.
Foden told the BBC: “I thought the way we handled ourselves, didn’t get impatient, carried on playing our football – we’re delighted with the result.
“The team handles it well. We seem to come against a low block quite often. We know what to expect, we just need to be patient, find the spaces and keep switching and hopefully they’ll open up and get tired. We attacked at the right time and aggressively so it’s a great result.”
It was his 12th goal in 22 FA Cup appearances since the 2018-19 season.
Former Everton stalwart Leon Osman said on the BBC: “Foden is filling Erling Haaland’s boots at the moment. He’s become a real focal point for this Man City team.”
The English playmaker scored his first home goal at the Etihad five years earlier in the same competition as an 18-year-old during a 7-0 mauling of Rotherham United, with manager Pep Guardiola saying after that match: “Foden loan? No way. Impossible. He is going to stay with us for many, many years. Impossible.”
Since then, he has scored 70 more goals. The midfielder has a loaded trophy cabinet of five English Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League with City. He also reached the 2020 European Championship final, en route to 31 caps for his country.
Having played much of his fledgling career on the wings, Foden has recently been featuring more centrally as a No. 10, scoring four goals and providing three assists in City’s last six matches in all competitions.
He said: “I’m enjoying my football at the moment, being in the pockets and in between the lines. It’s where I want to be, I need to keep helping the team with goals and assists and be that decisive player. I’m trying to do that every game.”
How long he continues to play there remains to be seen after City’s long-time playmaker-in-chief Kevin de Bruyne returned from a long injury layoff, coming off the bench to play his first game since August.
The 32-year-old Belgian marked his return by creating the fifth goal, sending in a well-placed cross for fellow substitute and compatriot Jeremy Doku to dispatch into the net against the side sitting one place above the relegation zone in the second tier.
Despite playing just three games this season, de Bruyne has laid on more assists than any of his contemporaries in Europe’s big five leagues after recording his 30th such goal contribution since the start of last season. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is second on the list with 24 assists.
Said Guardiola: “We are incredibly delighted to have him back because Kevin helps to win games.
“He has a special ability and quality to do something that is difficult to find. We have guys in midfield who love to run.
“Kevin is exceptional. He is unique. We are really pleased he is back after more than three months with injury. He had a really good assist for the Jeremy Doku goal.”
Like de Bruyne, tricky winger Doku was also returning from a spell out with a muscle injury.
He carried on where he left off after a bright start to his City career, following a summer move from Rennes, with his first goal since November.
Also finding the net for Guardiola’s side was Alvarez. City’s other goal came after Ben Jackson deflected in Oscar Bobb’s shot.
Meanwhile, fellow Premier League sides Nottingham Forest and West Ham United were pushed to replays by lower league opposition on Jan 7.
Forest came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with third-tier Blackpool, while the Hammers took an early lead but were held to a 1-1 draw by second-tier Bristol City.
