Phil Foden is struggling at Man City despite Pep Guardiola's praise

Pep Guardiola has long hailed Phil Foden as “the most talented player I have ever seen in my coaching career,” and even compared him to a Barcelona forward in November. That high regard followed a purple patch in which Foden scored six goals and supplied one assist across four league wins, but a downturn has followed: he went 13 matches without a goal after scoring last on 14 December and has made 12 appearances since that run.

Playing time has dwindled this year. Foden has not played a full 90 minutes since early January, and of City’s 20 matches in 2026 he has been unused or on the bench in half of them. Big fixtures have seen him left out entirely, including the 3-0 Champions League loss to Real Madrid and the Liverpool meeting in February.

Guardiola has defended him, saying “I have zero, zero, zero doubts about Phil,” and that Foden will return to form. Internationally, the picture is mixed.

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