Phil Foden delivered a stellar performance with a hat-trick to underscore his return to form, guiding Manchester City to a 5-1 victory against AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday.
After enduring a noticeable dip over the past two seasons, the England playmaker offered strong signs of a renaissance with an impressive display at the Etihad Stadium. The 26-year-old, who has previously discussed facing mental health challenges, had gone 10 months without scoring before finding the net in Saturday’s win against Ipswich.
Having missed out on his country’s World Cup squad earlier in the year due to his downturn in form, Foden ended his long Champions League goal drought dating back to November 2025. Manager Pep Guardiola’s side have now won 10 of their 11 matches across all competitions this season. They have won 10 of their 11 games in all competitions this season and even the absence of Erling Haaland couldn’t derail them.
City left Erling Haaland on the bench following his minor foot injury against Ipswich, while manager Maresca made eight changes to the starting lineup. Academy graduate Floyd Samba, 17, also made a lively impression on the flanks.
The hosts broke the deadlock after 12 minutes when Enzo Fernandez struck a free-kick against the crossbar, allowing Elliot Anderson to react quickest and slot into an empty net for his first goal since joining from Nottingham Forest. City’s understudies took just 12 minutes to seize the lead. Enzo Fernadez’s free-kick cannoned down off the bar and Anderson reacted quicker than the flat-footed AEK defence as the midfielder slotted into the empty net from 10 yards.
Foden doubled the advantage in the 34th minute by finishing off a fluid passing sequence with Rico Lewis, firing high into the net from a tight angle. Although Stavros Pilios pulled a goal back for AEK Athens with their first shot on target in the 52nd minute, City responded firmly. Exchanging passes in a blur of movement and precision, Foden and Rico Lewis cut through AEK with ease before Foden fired high into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
Rayan Cherki restored a two-goal cushion in the 57th minute with a graceful turn and finish from Foden’s pass. Foden then added his second in the 65th minute, meeting a knock-down from Lewis to curl a shot into the top corner from 18 yards. Rayan Cherki bagged City’s third goal in typically flamboyant fashion and Foden struck twice more to complete his treble.
Completing his first hat-trick in over two years, Foden timed his run perfectly to tap home a cross from Ryan McAidoo in the 76th minute. The win marks City’s second success in the league phase following their opening victory over Porto and defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
In other Champions League fixtures, holders Paris Saint-Germain secured a 4-2 win against Barcelona thanks to late goals from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, maintaining their spot at the top of the standings despite injuries to Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Meanwhile, Liverpool achieved a dramatic comeback victory over Villarreal, alongside important wins for Roma and Napoli. PSG kept their place at the top of the league-phase table, but could yet count the cost of injuries suffered by Ousmane Dembele, Marquinhos and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at the Parc des Princes.
