Phil Foden was becoming Manchester City's forgotten man – but no more New York Times (Online) Sam Lee “Brutal” was how AEK Athens manager Marko Nikolic described Manchester City's attacking play. On the night, there was nobody more decisive and devastating than Phil Foden. The 26-year-old fired in a hat-trick, three days after scoring against Ipswich Town, to signal that he is back firing on all cylinders again. He has now scored in nine consecutive Champions League seasons, which may sound like something that any City forward who has been at the club long enough would have managed — and yes, Sergio Aguero did 10 for them, but Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne never did. And it was a performance that was a throwback to his best days, showing his best out on the right wing, an area that he often found himself in under former manager Pep Guardiola, and then at false nine, the kind of thing he was doing as many as five or six years ago. “I really enjoyed it a lot,” he said of that false nine role to TNT Sports. “I could find space in the pockets, in between the lines, that's where I like to be and link the play. I really enjoyed that role tonight.” Having fired in the first with his weaker right foot, wrong-footing the opposition, he opened up his body to find the top corner with his left, and knew exactly where to be to seal the hat-trick with the kind of tap-in that City strikers need to be able to sniff out. It looks like Foden has locked in. After receiving a red card for kicking Bruno Fernandes on September 13, earning him a three-match ban that, combined with a long international break, kept him out of action for 34 days, he took a short break during and then returned back before his club-mates, in a bid to be fit and fresh. It could not have been any other way, really. Back in 2021, if you had said that Foden would be scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League in 2026 it would not have been a surprise at all, and it should not be considered so now — especially against a side fourth in the Greek Super League — but his trajectory has not been anywhere near as predicted. “I said since day one that I consider him one of the best English players,” Enzo Maresca said after the 5-1 victory. “For different reasons, in the last two years, three years, he was not good enough, but I know how good he is. We are just trying to help him because we're sure he's going to help us this season.” It is closer to two years than three, but it feels like a long time since Foden was flying. He points out that he had a fine spell at the end of last year, and he did, scoring six goals in four league matches and notching a fine double against Borussia Dortmund, but those memories easily faded along with his form going into the new year. Considering he had a PFA award-winning 2023-24 season, when he spearheaded a City title charge in the way that many expected he one day would do, indeed in the way that De Bruyne used to, but then struggled so badly the season after, it was alarming that things did not get too much better the next year. And here we are, with not much happening until the past few days to suggest that things have changed. As one of the few City players not at the World Cup, Foden had the opportunity to take advantage of a full pre-season and establish a place in the side before the likes of Rayan Cherki returned to the fray and the new signings, whoever they would be, could bed in. But he meandered through the opening weeks while Cherki came off the bench against Bournemouth on the opening weekend to create two goals, then scored two fine goals six days later against Crystal Palace. Cherki can have off days, but his ceiling is so high, as he again showed on Tuesday, that it is easy to keep going back to him. Another barrier to first-team opportunities for Foden has been what Maresca wants from his wingers — he wants dynamic dribblers in one-against-one situations, with Antoine Semenyo a mainstay in the team, and Jeremy Doku sure to be now he has returned from injury. That means that Foden has been, until Tuesday night, unable to find refuge out wide, which is usually where Guardiola utilised him when there were players like Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Gundogan and De Bruyne to fit into the middle. By now, with those all gone, Foden should be a shoo-in for a central role, but he is in a position where he is having to catch up to those who have been signed in the last 18 months. Cherki was also breathtaking on Tuesday night, but there will now be questions about how the two of them can fit in the same team, putting a new spin on the 'one or the other' dynamic that had taken hold, one that Cherki has been winning. Foden's derby red card was also costly in the sense that the 10 left on the pitch were immediately elevated to hero status (although ironically that did not include Cherki, who was replaced by Iliman Ndiaye at half-time). None achieved more at Old Trafford than Foden has over the past decade, of course, but it was easy to feel as though the team has been moving on quickly, perhaps too quickly for Foden. Elliot Anderson, for example, has been winning fans since day one, while Enzo Fernandez, an initially controversial arrival, became almost instantly popular, thanks in no small part to his contribution at Old Trafford. Ayyoub Bouaddi, 19, has been fantastic in his outings, too, and Cherki is Cherki. But Foden is Foden. Maresca, it should be said, has always been keen to point out that Foden has a place in the team, bringing him into flattering conversations about other players. Tuesday's hat-trick was a perfectly timed reminder of what he is all about.