Manchester City welcome Brighton & Hove Albion at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon and Pep Guardiola is likely to make a number of changes from the side that lost 1-0 to Liverpool last weekend.
Phil Foden may be one of them after starting in a makeshift left wing-back role at Anfield. City are big favourites to pick up all three points at home, so it might make sense to have the 22-year-old back in a familiar position out wide.
Where will Manchester City finish in the Premier League this season?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th or lower
Foden didn’t have the best game against Liverpool at wing-back and has been more productive higher up the pitch, so it’s surely a no-brainer for Pep Guardiola to switch things back?
The England international has made 14 appearances in all competitions this season, scoring seven goals with three assists, so he’s indispensable. Foden has to play against Brighton and should be deployed in the position where he’s most threatening.
Guardiola said the 22-year-old can play in multiple roles for City, but his numbers speak for itself – 18 chances, 9/22 successful dribbles, 19/40 accurate crosses, 12/20 shots on target.
Foden is second in the City squad for goals scored and joint-fourth for assists, having spent most of the season as an inside forward, so Guardiola knows what to do against Brighton.
In other news, Riyad Mahrez told to ‘prove his worth’ after being dropped by Pep Guardiola
The Vital Network is unique from other football content providers as all the sites are run by the fans, for the fans. We are looking for a writer to join our Manchester City site. If you can write well-constructed, thought-provoking opinion pieces alongside reporting on current events and breaking news then I want to hear from you. Email paddy@snack-media.com.
Can you name these Man City players from the 2000s? Test your knowledge, take the quiz and challenge your friends and family to beat your score