Foden hat-trick powers Man City to 5-1 rout of Athens despite Haaland and Semenyo injuries
Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City routed AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League, bouncing back from last week's loss to PSG despite off-field troubles and injuries.
City boss Enzo Maresca believes Foden has provided evidence that his prolonged slump might finally be over. After struggling badly over the last two seasons, the 26-year-old England playmaker could be on the brink of a long-awaited renaissance after his sublime display at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.
It has been a trying period for Foden, who has admitted suffering from mental health issues. He fell out of favour with former City boss Pep Guardiola.
Foden had not scored for 10 months prior to his goal in Saturday's Premier League win against Ipswich. After that goal, the hat-trick against Athens is a strong sign of returning confidence.
This season has been another turbulent experience for Foden, who was sent off in City's win at Manchester United and has been forced to battle for a place in Maresca's starting lineup.
Taking advantage of injuries that left Erling Haaland on the bench against AEK and sidelined Antoine Semenyo for eight weeks, Foden starred on the left wing before switching to the “false nine” role as the focal point of City's attack.
“It is good news for me because you know he is doing well and this is what we want for many reasons,” Maresca said. “First of all, because he is a top player and we know that. Happy for him, but also happy for the team that we have one more weapon that we can use.”
Foden's hat-trick will surely have caught England manager Thomas Tuchel's eye as he prepares to pick his squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain in November.
Long heralded as one of England's brightest talents, Foden was left out of his country's World Cup squad earlier this year in a damning sign of his fall from grace.
Having ended his run without a goal in the Champions League since November 2025, Foden now has to produce nights like this on a regular basis to earn the trust of Maresca and Tuchel.
For City, the win matters as a response to the PSG loss. Winning big with Haaland on the bench and Semenyo sidelined showed the squad's depth, and Foden's return to form makes that depth more meaningful.
The question now is consistency. One hat-trick has reminded everyone of Foden's talent, but as Maresca put it, the team will want him regularly as “one more weapon” — that will be the real test of his renaissance.
