Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City cruised to a 5-1 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League, with Erling Haaland left unused on the bench. The win puts City back on track in the competition following last week's loss to PSG.
Maresca's Bold Selection
With Haaland fit enough to be in the squad after a knock picked up in the weekend win over Ipswich, manager Enzo Maresca surprised everyone by starting 17-year-old academy midfielder Floyd Samba in his place. It was a selection that would have been approved of by Pep Guardiola, known for wild Champions League calls, but a big ask for Samba to follow up on his only other start against Norwich in the Carabao Cup last month.
Maresca made seven changes in total, bringing Elliot Anderson and Enzo Fernandez back into the team. Anderson nodded in the opening goal in the 12th minute when Fernandez's free-kick bounced back into play off the crossbar. The free-kick was won by Samba, who had won the ball back 35 yards from goal and driven at the defence with purpose.
Foden Shines
When Foden and Rico Lewis combined well for Foden to score a second before half-time, it brought smiles from academy staff. Foden pushed his teammate towards the fans to get acclaim for his part in the goal, but this showing could prove crucial for the 26-year-old going forwards.
Foden was already in his version of hell when the guilty verdict was dropped on the club, in the middle of a month with no football following his red card at Old Trafford, but has responded in the right way.
City Respond to Setback
The fixture hadn't captured the imagination of home fans after the defiance shown since the verdict, with the ground barely more than half full. The night risked falling flat when sloppy City play early in the second half allowed Stavros Pilios to halve the deficit.
But City stepped up after that, with a quality goal from Rayan Cherki followed by an even better combination from Lewis and Foden before the latter completed his hat-trick. As with so many of City's performances this season, it may not have been perfect but they did enough to win.
Looking Ahead
Those three points put the Blues back on track in the Champions League and with Haaland and others rested it keeps Maresca with options for Aston Villa on Saturday. The manager's boldness was rewarded and there are signs of greater rewards to come.
Foden's confidence is shooting up after breaking a 10-month goal drought with four in two games. He even had Haaland on his feet.
