Former Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart said midfielder Phil Foden “stepped up” for Pep Guardiola’s side after scoring in their 3-2 win over Leeds.
The 25-year-old scored the first of his two goals just 59 seconds into the game – the first league goal for City at the Etihad Stadium since David Silva’s strike after 52 seconds against Watford in September 2019.
And, after Leeds stunned Pep Guardiola’s side by scoring twice in the second half and equalised, Foden scored in the 91st minute to seal the win, helping his side keep pace with leaders Arsenal, who are now four points clear.
“He got them out of jail, but he got them out of jail with absolute quality,” Hart told Match of the Day.
“He was absolutely purring, he made the move to Manchester City.”
After going five games without netting, Foden said he wanted to “prove to myself that I can still score goals”.
“I was very hungry to play today, not to prove to anyone but to prove to myself that I can still score goals,” Foden told Sky Sports after the win.
“I was a bit disappointed and it was on my mind to get it right and I was happy to take out two today.”
Before Saturday, the England international had scored only once this Premier League season – in a 3-0 derby win against Manchester United on September 14.
Foden’s most productive season at City came in 2023–24 when he scored 19 goals, before scoring seven the previous season – six of them coming in four matches at the start of 2025.
However, he scored twice in a 4-1 home win against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League earlier this month, before he maintained his purple patch against Leeds in a match that saw the pace change at times.
Foden summed up the action by saying, “With one of the most dangerous sports ever played.”
“We were in complete control. They changed it in the second half, changed the system and we just couldn’t get going.
“It was a disappointing half, but when we got a short break, the manager got us together to adapt to his formation and we started playing again.
“We pressed and eventually I managed to find a little bit of space and put my shot into the net. Really happy with it but there are still some things we can improve on.”
City, who lost at Newcastle in their previous match, will hope Arsenal can drop points at Chelsea on Sunday as they look to stay within striking distance of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners.
“The title race is never straightforward,” Foden said.
“There are always ups and downs and periods when you cannot move forward and find results. That has happened to us recently and I am happy with the courage and heart shown by the boys to move forward. The belief and togetherness came through in the end.
“Hopefully we can move on from here now, but you never know what to expect.”
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