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There is so much talk about just who is Manchester City’s most important player – is it Erling Haaland, Rodri or Kevin de Bruyne? Maybe, right now, it is actually one Philip Walter Foden, the local lad, the academy product, the homegrown jewel at the heart of this global powerhouse who grew up seven miles down the road in Stockport.
Just as it looked like another local hero, United’s Marcus Rashford, would grab the headlines for the right reasons, after his stunning early goal, it was Foden who turned around this Manchester derby to deservedly earn City the points.
With England manager Gareth Southgate in the stands, and a squad announced next week, there is no doubt that Foden must be central to his country’s plans in the forthcoming European Championship.
Two outstanding goals from Foden took his tally for City to 18 for the season – the 23-year-old’s best-ever return – and it was the assuredness that he showed, as much as the quality of the strikes, that was so memorable. United simply could not cope with him.
They will argue, with manager Erik ten Hag booked for his protestations, that a free-kick should have been awarded to Rashford before Foden’s brilliant goal drew City level. But their case looked weak.
Foden’s second goal was equally accomplished, his first was a powerful strike from 25 yards, as he exchanged passes with substitute Julian Alvarez and guided the ball into the net.
In truth, anything short of a City victory would have been a travesty given their utter, indisputable dominance, with Haaland guilty of one of the worst misses of the campaign, volleying over from just two yards out.
The striker found some relief in injury time with a woeful mistake by United substitute Sofyan Amrabat allowing Rodri to slip Haaland through. He made no mistake with a low shot beyond Andre Onana. It also confirmed an unwanted statistic for United: this was the first time in 144 league games that they have led at half-time and ended up losing.
Tellingly Pep Guardiola substituted Foden after that, allowing him the standing ovation he undoubtedly deserved.
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