Phil Foden hit a hat-trick to underline his long-awaited return to form as Manchester City crushed AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. After a significant dip over the last two seasons, Foden provided hope of a renaissance for the England playmaker with a sublime display at the Etihad Stadium.
The 26-year-old, who has admitted struggling with mental health issues, hadn’t scored for 10 months prior to his goal in Saturday’s win against Ipswich. 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 complete his revival. Elliot Anderson put City ahead early in the first half with his first goal for the club since his close-season move from Nottingham Forest.
Foden doubled City’s lead before the break and although Stavros Pilios pulled one back for the Greek side after the interval, the Premier League leaders finished with a flourish. Rayan Cherki bagged City’s third goal in typically flamboyant fashion and Foden struck twice more to complete his treble. It was City’s second win in the league phase after beating Porto in their opening game and losing to holders Paris Saint-Germain last week.
City’s future remains in limbo as they wait the result of their appeal against an independent commission’s verdict that they were guilty of more than 100 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. With reports emerging that City are set to be hit with a massive points deduction that will almost certainly condemn them to relegation, this season’s Champions League campaign could be the club’s last for some