Before Man City’s academy graduate entered the center stage, Rodrigo’s opener for Villa was swiftly canceled by City’s zone by Julian Alvarez. Just before halftime, Foden got the third ball in the city match after two excellent strikes in the second period following a free-kick.
In Short
Man City on 3rd spot
It was enough to see Man City ahead of the team chasing the UEFA Champions League, who were the last team to outdo us in December.
Following Sunday’s stalemate with Arsenal, City’s streak of 57 consecutive home matches with at least one goal came to an end, marking a welcome return to Man City’s splendid performance.
The result means Liverpool has played one game more than City and sits level on points, while Man City are just a point behind league leaders Arsenal.
What happened
Just three days after a goalless draw with Arsenal, Pep Guardiola made four changes to his City side, including benching Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. The two brought into the team made an instant impact within three minutes of the start of the night. Cutting in from the left, Jack Grealish scooped the ball for Julian Alvarez to net on the turn.
Man City kept pressing, and there was no surprise when the opener arrived in the 11th minute. Driving in from the right, Phil Foden slid the ball under Jeremy Doku, completely wrong-footing Rodrigo.
Rodrigo's eighth goal of the season! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/ceLctXVuBI
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 3, 2024
The Spaniard had no need to advance as he delivered a thunderous strike into Robin Olsen’s goal. Man City kept pushing forward, but it was a moment of magic when Aston Villa struck next. Enjoying a rare breakaway, John Dyer combined with Morgan Rogers before slotting his shot inside the far post.
VAR check gave City hope that the Colombian forward was offside, but a closer inspection confirmed the goal was fair.
Without any worry, Man City pushed straight onto the front foot.
Just before Villa’s defense could thwart a series of attacks in the dying moments, a Grealish volley missed Olsen’s goal by a whisker.
Olsen’s next serious save came in the 37th minute when he parried away Rico Luis’s effort for Julian Alvarez. Argentin kept their heads down and fired back across the goal, only for Olsen’s right foot to deny him.
City didn’t give up, but it seemed like Guardiola’s side wouldn’t find a second goal.
Free kick
That changed when Phil Foden stepped up to a free-kick, positioning himself just outside the box. He curled an unstoppable strike into the top corner, beautifully set up by Rodrigo’s delicate flick to guide the ball from his right foot to the left.
Foden’s selection of the three players was yet to be decided. After being ushered onto the pitch, Foden lifted himself up, shifted the ball onto his left foot, and unleashed an unstoppable strike into the top corner.
Following his stellar performance in Brentford in February, this was his third City hat-trick and the second of the season. The atmosphere within the Etihad was that of a party, with 53,422-strong crowd thoroughly enjoying the show and Guardiola eager to give his most utilized performers some rest. Undoubtedly, the loudest cheer of the night was reserved for Foden when he was substituted in the 80th minute.
Pep Guardiola
“We played really well, they were better at Villa Park. Today, we were better.
“We wasted many chances, but we created many. We played really well with Phil, Rico, and Rodrigo. Jack and Jeremy on the wings were really good, so we played well. We created a lot and could have scored more.”
Also Read : “Watch| Ronaldo’s Stellar Performance: A Hat-Trick and Two Assists in Al Nassr’s Spectacular 8-0 Victory”
Man of the Match
Phil Foden – Who else?
A sensational way to seal the hat-trick! 🚀@PhilFoden ✨ pic.twitter.com/yFtRPAln0f
— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 3, 2024
City’s academy graduate was deployed in a central role tonight and made his presence felt right from the first moment. He initiated the move for Rodrigo’s opener, waiting patiently with skill to feed Jeremy Doku to advance and cross. However, it’s where he placed the ball that matters, where he has made the most significant improvement in his game this season. He has undoubtedly been one of the most impactful players in this Premier League season.
This hat-trick included three superb strikes with his left foot, something most of us could only dream of witnessing. This takes his season tally to 21 goals – his best performance in his career so far.
As a local lad and one of the world’s best players, he’s lauded by the City faithful. This was evident in the 80th minute when his substitution brought all sides to their feet, applauding.
photos source : X
