Phil Foden scored an instinctive hat-trick as Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 victory over AEK Athens at the Etihad Stadium, getting their Champions League campaign back on track after a defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The win came in front of an officially reported crowd of 40,042, though that figure felt optimistic given the visible gaps in the stands.
Foden Shines in Unfamiliar Roles
Foden, who had not scored since mid-December before Saturday's goal, operated on the right wing and as a central striker, demonstrating that City can cope without Erling Haaland, who watched from the bench. The England international has had a difficult season, spending much of it on the sidelines, some of that absence self-inflicted after being sent off for kicking out in frustration in the Manchester derby.
Speaking after the match, Foden said: "Slowly but surely. Still got a long way to go, but I am going in the right direction. Scoring along the way definitely helps. I want to keep working hard and keep being the best I can for the manager and the team. When I changed into that false 9 role, I enjoyed it a lot. Really enjoyed that role tonight."
Maresca's Calculated Risks Pay Off
Enzo Maresca made eight changes to the starting lineup, bringing in Enzo Fernández and Elliot Anderson, while Haaland was only there in case of emergency. His replacement was 17-year-old academy graduate Floyd Samba, whose only other senior football came in a Carabao Cup win against Norwich, when he scored twice on debut.
City took the lead in the 12th minute when Fernández clipped a free-kick onto the bar and Anderson followed up to whack the rebound into an empty net. Foden added a second after neat work on the right from Rico Lewis, as the two academy products combined.
AEK's Consolation and City's Showboating
Stavros Pilios scored a consolation for AEK, but Rayan Cherki soon restored City's two-goal advantage with a neat trick inside the box and a precise shot into the corner. Foden completed his treble with a sublime first-time finish into the top corner from the edge of the box, after Cherki knocked it long for Lewis to control into his path.
Ryan McAidoo came off the bench to send in a perfect cross for Foden to complete his hat-trick with a striker's instinct, earning the biggest cheer of the night. The loss of Antoine Semenyo to injury for eight weeks created a problem for Maresca, but Samba's deployment as a decoy allowed the more experienced players to shine.
Maresca said of Foden: "I consider him one of the best English players but for different reasons in the last two-three years, he was not good enough – but I know how good he is. We are just trying to help him because we are sure that he's going to help us this season."
