News about Phil Foden

IAN HERBERT: Sometimes, amid the waves of data and analysis which seem to drown contemporary football, you wonder whether there is still space for the genuinely unexpected. The player who arrives out of a clear blue sky and delivers to a level no-one foresaw. It was like that with George Best, called up to the Manchester United first team for a home match with West Bromwich Albion 61 years ago, and such a bag of nerves that Matt Busby listed him as 'reserve', to preserve him from stage fright, when scrawling out the team-sheet in ballpoint. The then 17-year-old was convinced that this selection, in the days before substitutes were used, must be some kind of punishment. He made his debut, of course - and so invincibly that Busby later wondered aloud whether what he observed had been a dream. A manager never really knows until the white line is crossed and the first whistle blown.

Manchester United have received allegations that 'scumbag' fans are posing as disabled supporters to gain access to away matches this season. The club are given dedicated wheelchair spaces for every away fixture but Chas Banks, secretary of the Manchester United Disabled Supporters' Association, told the latest meeting of the Fans' Forum there has been 'widespread misuse' of these tickets by a group of disabled fans. These have either been passed on to non-disabled supporters directly or through a third party in breach of United's ticket rules. 

MIKE KEEGAN - SPORTS AGENDA: Police are stepping up their crackdown on tragedy chanting. A Manchester United fan was fined and banned for mocking the Hillsborough disaster after his club's FA Cup win over Liverpool, and officers made another arrest at Old Trafford on Saturday.  This time it was a Burnley fan, with 44-year-old Nathan Rawlinson arrested in the away end for allegedly chanting about the Munich air disaster. Rawlinson, of Bacup, was charged under the Public Order Act and bailed.

Phil Foden has been forced to miss Manchester City's crucial clash with Nottingham Forest due to illness. Foden has been a central figure for the reigning champions this season, scoring 16 goals and providing seven assists in the league this season. The England international scored twice earlier this week against Brighton to continue his sparkling form, which has made him the leading contender to be named player of the year.

JACK GAUGHAN: Imagine if Phil Foden took penalties. Only Ollie Watkins has scored more from open play than Manchester City's No 47 this season. Not Erling Haaland, not Cole Palmer, not Mohamed Salah. Foden is now doing what he has always threatened to, mining numbers from that innate ability they all saw in the academy and entering a whole new stratosphere. Two more at Brighton on Thursday night helped Manchester City keep the destiny of this fascinating title race in their own hands and took Foden to 25 for club and country. He goes to Nottingham Forest on Sunday, where a glaring miss in a February draw last season served to show there was much to learn when it came to honing a lethal edge at the crunch.

Lionel Messi. Andres Iniesta. Robert Lewandowski. The rich list of world-class players Pep Guardiola had coached before joining Manchester City was simply astounding. And yet, three years after penning his move to the Etihad, Guardiola shocked world football with a claim that Phil Foden - then, a teenager who had yet to break into City's regular starting XI - was the most talented player he had ever witnessed. 'The most talented player I've ever seen,' Guardiola said of Foden in 2019. 'His only problem is sometimes his manager doesn't put him in the starting XI. Hopefully in the future that can improve.'

JACK GAUGHAN: Pep Guardiola (left) wants Phil Foden (right) to take his foot off the gas as Manchester City drive in search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League crown. Foden, the bookies favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year, added another two goals to his growing collection as City eased past Brighton 4-0 on Thursday night. Guardiola has moulded the 23-year-old into a match-winning central midfielder ready to take over from Kevin De Bruyne and believes the academy graduate is learning the changes in tempo required to master that position.

Kevin De Bruyne has revealed which position he sees Phil Foden playing for Man City going forward after the Englishman put in another man of the match display against Brighton on Thursday night. Pep Guardiola's men made a statement of intent in the title race as they thrashed the Seagulls 4-0 at the Amex Stadium to close the gap to leaders Arsenal to one point with a game in hand. De Bruyne gave his side the lead with a brilliant flying header before Foden put the game to bed with a brace before half-time. 

MATT BARLOW AT THE AMEX STADIUM: Manchester City have been champions for more than a thousand days. They won the title back in May 2021 and on this evidence are not in the mood to relinquish it. Of all the things about Pep Guardiola and his team, it is the appetite to keep going that is perhaps most impressive. The refusal to bask in what they have achieved. To process the disappointment of defeat on penalties by Real Madrid in the Champions League. They saw Arsenal smash five past Chelsea on Tuesday. They saw Liverpool surrender three points in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday. They responded in the way champions do. Seemingly immune to anxiety.

KIERAN GILL AT THE AMEX STADIUM: Phil Foden struck twice as Manchester City stepped up their bid for a fourth Premier League crown in a row with a ruthless 4-0 victory at Brighton on Thursday. Kevin De Bruyne's superb diving header put City, missing top scorer Erling Haaland due to injury, ahead in the 17th minute. Foden scored his first -- and 50th league goal -- with a deflected free kick and Brighton defensive errors allowed Bernardo Silva to win the ball and set up Foden to sweep a shot into the bottom corner before halftime.

PLAYER RATINGS: Manchester City closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal by running out comfortable 4-0 winners against Brighton on Thursday night. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring with a superb diving header, before two Phil Foden strikes gave Pep Guardiola's side a 3-0 cushion at half-time. Substitute Julian Alvarez added to scoreline with a close range finish after the hour mark, as Man City negotiated a potentially tricky away assignment with ease.

Sky Bet are offering three Price Boosts and a Scorecast Boost for tonight's Premier League showdown between Brighton and Manchester City at AMEX Stadium.  Kevin De Bruyne to score or assist is now 10/11, Manchester City to have 10+ shots on target is 11/2, and Joao Pedro and Phil Foden to both score at 9/1. The odds for those three bets have been enhanced from 8/11, 3/1 and 15/2, respectively.

Is working for Pep Guardiola exhausting? Has Jude Bellingham asked for any advice? And where were you when Jurgen Klopp announced he was leaving Liverpool?  Manchester City and England star Phil Foden answers these and more in an It's All Kicking Off! podcast special. The 23-year-old, who announced this week that he and his girlfriend Rebecca Cooke, 22, are expecting their third child, sat down with It's All Kicking Off! co-host and Mail Sport Football Editor Ian Ladyman in a special episode.

Title-chasing Manchester City will be without leading scorer Erling Haaland for Thursday's Premier League clash with Brighton. Haaland missed the FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea on Saturday with a muscle issue and has now been ruled out of his side's trip to the Amex Stadium. Manager Pep Guardiola insisted the matter was not a serious one for the 20-goal striker, who could come back into contention Sunday's clash with Nottingham Forest, and was boosted by Phil Foden and John Stones both getting the green light after their own fitness concerns.

'It's All Kicking Off!' returns with a one-off special episode, featuring Manchester City and England superstar, Phil Foden. In an exclusive interview, conducted by Football Editor and podcast host, Ian Ladyman, Foden opens up on his rise to the game's summit; detailing his route through the academy, to becoming an integral part of the modern game's supreme winning machine.

Phil Foden and his girlfriend Rebecca Cooke have announced they are expecting their third child togerther. The Manchester City midfielder, 23, and his childhood sweetheart, 22, celebrated the exciting news with a lavish baby shower over the weekend. It's an exciting time for the couple who have been together since they were teenagers.

Phil Foden and his girlfriend Rebecca Cooke have announced they are expecting their third child together on Instagram on Monday. The Manchester City midfielder, 23, and his childhood sweetheart, 22, celebrated the exciting news with a lavish baby shower over the weekend.  The couple posed for a sweet family photo with their two children, son Ronnie, five, and one-year-old daughter True. 

After 47 years of Panini holding the rights to distribute the official Euros sticker book, this year the contract has gone to Topps - but it doesn't have permission to include all the players. Italian company Panini isn't going down without a fight and will still produce an album. The collectables company has supplied sticker albums for every Euros tournament since 1977, but last summer's competition will now go down as its last.  The Topps version has failed to impress many fans. It was printed before the qualification stages were complete, according to The Times. This means Wales is included, despite being knocked out by Poland . And while Topps holds the overall rights, Panini retains those to aspects of some teams. So five of the teams, including England, can only be shown in their kit by Panini.Topps have also brought in legendary manager Jose Mourinho (pictured) to promote the collectables book who has taken over the trading card companies office. Inset is the Panini World Cup football stickers in 2022.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY CHRIS WHEELER: The route to the top can seem relatively straightforward for the star pupils of Manchester City's academy. Ellis Simms, on the other hand, belongs to a different group of City scholars. Those young men who reached a crossroads when they were let go at a young age, and had to navigate a trickier path to where they want to be. For him, it was Blackpool, Heart of Midlothian and Sunderland on loan from Everton. Sunday is Simms' turn in the spotlight. Coventry meet Manchester United in the second FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, 24 hours after Foden and City saw off Palmer and Chelsea in the first.

KIERAN GILL AND JACK GAUGHAN AT WEMBLEY: Holders Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 with a late Bernardo Silva goal on Saturday to reach the FA Cup final. Silva sidefooted the ball home in the 84th minute after Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic parried a shot from former Blues midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Both keepers were busy with De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish missing chances for City, while Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke had efforts saved by Stefan Ortega, smothered by the City defence or lost to wayward shots. 

Phil Foden has taken on the 'Teammates' challenge as he named the best and worst dressed players and dancers at Manchester City. The 23-year-old has been in sensational form for Pep Guardiola's side throughout the campaign and has now become one of the first names on the City team sheet. From his 46 appearances in 2023-24, the England international has recorded 22 goals and 10 assists for last season's Treble winners. 

Phil Foden shocked several Manchester City fans when asked to name his ultimate Premier League XI. The 23-year-old, who is in the form of his life this season, has netted 22 goals in all competitions with Pep Guardiola's side attempting to become the first club ever to win four consecutive top flight titles in England. With the business end of the campaign approaching and the European Championships on the horizon, Foden sat down with Mail Sport Football Editor Ian Ladyman to discuss his ascendancy to the top of the sport.

This year's Champions League semi-finalists have been decided following four thrilling quarter-final ties. It was a bad week for English clubs as Man City and Arsenal were knocked out by Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund edged past Atletico Madrid, and PSG came from behind to see off Barcelona. There were outstanding individual performances across the round, but some players also struggled on the big stage.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY IAN LADYMAN: Some footballers like to turn their heads away from history, the challenges it presents and the pressure it brings. Phil Foden doesn't think that way. He wants to walk towards it. For Foden and Manchester City, a shot at a Champions League defence and a successive treble have gone, ground into the dirt by Real Madrid's refusal to buckle during an epic Etihad night on Wednesday. But at City when one door closes, there is always another one to walk through. And for Foden and his team-mates a reminder of what remains possible over the next five weeks is writ large on the wall every time they lace up their boots.