Enzo Maresca has revealed he held heart-to-heart conversations with Phil Foden in an effort to help the midfielder back to his best, and the recent response has given Manchester City hope that he can recapture the form that made him the PFA Players’ Player of the Year in 2023-24. Foden has scored four goals in his past two games, including a hat-trick in City’s 5-1 Champions League win over AEK Athens, after struggling over the past two years.
Maresca, who knew Foden from a spell as Pep Guardiola’s assistant, said he had spoken with the 26-year-old several times, particularly at the start of his time in charge. “Since we started I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning,” Maresca said. “Maybe love is not the right word to use but just to show him how important he is.”
The City manager added that he has long been aware of Foden’s quality and feels a responsibility to help him return to the level that made him one of England’s leading players. “I know Phil from years ago so I know how good he is. For different reasons the last few years he was not good enough,” Maresca said. “It’s my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England. But it’s not just about one game – the season is very long.”
Foden will need to remain consistent to keep his place, with competition for the attacking roles including Rayan Cherki, whom Maresca has described as one of the best players in Europe. City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday lunchtime aiming to continue their perfect Premier League start under Maresca, with Erling Haaland fit after sitting on the bench for the Champions League win over AEK Athens.
City have won seven straight Premier League games and sit three points clear at the top, with their only competitive defeat under Maresca coming against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. Maresca is waiting to find out whether Matheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nico O’Reilly are available after missing the AEK game. “The mood is good, we are happy with our start but we are still hungry for more wins,” he said.