Pep Guardiola points directly to the role that helped Phil Foden regain his peak form

Coach Pep Guardiola confirmed that Phil Foden feels most content playing as a “number 10,” following the English midfielder’s continued brilliance in Manchester City’s 2-0 win against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup.

Foden has regained a level of performance close to his peak after a challenging 2024/25 season. The 25-year-old star opened the scoring for Man City in the first half with a neat finish, before Savinho sealed the victory, reflecting the reigning champions’ dominance despite struggling to find decisive passes in the final third.

When asked if Foden performs best in a central role, Pep Guardiola responded: “Absolutely right. When near the penalty area, he operates in the perfect spaces. In that position, with a bit of freedom, Phil can do some very special things. When playing behind the forwards, he is always a genuine threat.”

Pep also emphasized that Foden has maintained consistent form in recent matches, not only against Huddersfield but also versus Arsenal, Manchester United, and Napoli.

In this match, Pep Guardiola made as many as 9 personnel changes compared to the 1-1 draw against Arsenal last weekend, keeping only Foden and Nico O’Reilly in the starting lineup. Notably, teenage striker Divine Mukasa made his first-team debut, while the two sons of former star Emile Heskey, Reigan and Jaden Heskey, also had memorable debuts.

Pep Guardiola expressed his pride: “Today, six academy players started, with two more coming on, including the Heskey brothers. I believe their parents must be very proud. It’s truly wonderful.”

Another highlight was the return of Kalvin Phillips, who played for Man City for the first time since December 2023. The midfielder had just welcomed his second child the day before and immediately returned to serve the team. Pep shared: “Yesterday Kalvin became a father again. This morning he traveled from London, played a few minutes, then went back to his family. That was a beautiful moment.”

Meanwhile, Huddersfield coach Lee Grant remained proud of his team’s resilient performance: “I’m extremely proud. The whole squad fought tirelessly. Losing only 0-2 to a team like Man City is a significant result. We limited many clear chances and can hold our heads high. They controlled the game entirely, but we did everything to keep our spirit strong.”

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