Phil Foden scored twice as Man City beat Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League; Pep Guardiola said Foden was back to his best, but will it be enough to earn an England call-up from Thomas Tuchel on Friday?; Foden will look to shine again as Man City face Liverpool on Super Sunday
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola praises ‘special’ Phil Foden display – and details what he must do to return to England squad
Phil Foden is back to his best, says Pep Guardiola, after the Manchester City forward scored twice in a 4-1 Champions League win against Borussia Dortmund.
Both goals were brilliantly taken, scored low with precision as City eased past the Bundesliga side, who themselves had only lost once so far this season.
It was the first time Foden has scored twice in a Champions League game. All four of his shots – the joint-highest of the game along with Erling Haaland – were on target, and 50 per cent were goals.
After a tough 2024/25 season for player and club alike, both now look like they are getting back to their previous best, which saw them win the Champions League among a treble of trophies in the 2022/23 season.
“I’m happy it’s not just Erling scoring goals!” Guardiola said after Wednesday’s win.
“Phil is back! How many times, how many years have we seen this type of goal from Phil? We missed it a lot last season, even this season. I think he’s going to help us a lot.
“He’s confident to score this type of goal, where it’s not necessary to shoot strong – just put the ball close to the post, it’s like a pass to the net. Phil is fantastic.
“As long as Phil is happy and loved and has joy, you don’t have to say much. He’s a special player. But we need his goals and hopefully this is the first step to do it.”
Foden himself is enjoying his football again, telling TNT Sports: “I’m loving it. I need to play with a smile on my face, which I’m doing.
“Last year was tough, not just for myself, but for everyone. There’s a new togetherness this season and you can tell today, Dortmund caused us some problems. They’re a great team, but we stuck to the gameplan and broke them down with our talent up front.”
Foden will be hoping to bring the same spark for Man City as they host Liverpool in the Premier League on Super Sunday, before heading into the international break.
Foden’s star turn on Wednesday evening comes at a vital time, with Thomas Tuchel announcing his next England squad on Friday.
Foden last played for England in March 2025 and was included in Tuchel’s first Three Lions squad. However, he has not been part of the last three camps.
When asked about the possibility of an England call-up, Guardiola added: “Listen, Thomas is so smart and knows exactly what the national team needs.
“I think Thomas knows Phil perfectly. Phil wants to play better and better and better. The national team is different, like as a team. The national team is a short time to create a team when you’re not a team.
“There’s no person in this country or in the world who doesn’t know his quality and ability. But England is lucky to have such an amount of good players in this position.
“That’s why Phil has to push himself to be better and better because when he gets the call, he can say, ‘okay, I’m going to show how good I am’.”
England are stacked with talent Foden’s position, and any squad announcement will inevitably leave out talented players.
But in the Premier League this season, Foden has created the joint-fourth highest number of chances (20), with Everton loanee Jack Grealish (21) the only England player to rank above him in that metric.
Of course, there is far more than stats alone that Tuchel will consider when picking his latest squad, but Foden has certainly caught the eye as he looks to reclaim his place in England’s starting XI.
