Maresca backs Foden to regain England’s elite status after City hat-trick

Enzo Maresca says it is his responsibility to help Phil Foden rediscover his best form and re-establish himself as one of England’s leading players after the Manchester City midfielder ended a 10-month goal drought.

Foden scored in City’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town last weekend before producing a hat-trick in Tuesday’s 5-1 Champions League win against AEK Athens.

The 26-year-old’s goalscoring return comes after two seasons in which he has struggled to reproduce the standards of his outstanding 2023/24 campaign. Foden scored 27 goals that season and won the Premier League’s major individual awards.

Maresca, who became City manager in June, has held several conversations with Foden to emphasise his importance to the team.

“Since we started, I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning. Just to show him, I don’t know if love is the right word to use, but just to show him how important he is,” Maresca said.

The Italian has known Foden for several years and accepts that the midfielder has endured difficult periods recently. However, he believes rebuilding Foden’s confidence is part of his own responsibility as manager.

“I said many times that I know Phil from years ago, so I know how, for different reasons, the last few years it was not good enough,” he added.

“When you have more players like Phil available, you are a better team because, again, it’s a matter of improving players. If you improve the players, you improve the team.

“So for me, I think it’s my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England.”

Maresca has won his first seven Premier League matches in charge of City. Their only defeat across competitions during that run came against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, when they were beaten 4-2.

City’s results have come while the club continues to face a financial-rule case. They are appealing a guilty verdict relating to more than 100 alleged breaches, with the possibility of significant sporting sanctions still hanging over them.

Maresca said the uncertainty had not affected the players’ focus, despite major changes to both the squad and coaching staff during the summer.

“In any club, when you lose important players, many important players, and you lose the manager after 10 years, it always takes time to compete again,” he said.

“But this organisation last summer changed many important players, changed the manager after 10 years and we are competing at the moment.”

City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, with Erling Haaland expected to return after missing the victory over AEK Athens because of a foot injury suffered against Ipswich.