Phil Foden Fires Manchester City To Victory With Superb Hat-Trick Against Aston Villa

Phil Foden scored a brilliant hat-trick as Manchester City kept the pressure on in the Premier League title race with a 4-1 win over Champions League-chasing Aston Villa. (More Football News)

A day after defending his star striker against criticism from Roy Keane, Pep Guardiola left Erling Haaland on the bench alongside Ke𒐪vin De Bruyne, clearing the stage for Foden to graᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚb the spotlight with an outstanding performance and his second hat-trick of the campaign.

After Jhon Duran cancelled out Rodri’s opener, the 23-year-old put City back in front with a free-kick late in the first half before two excellent strikes settled it just after the hour mark, taking Foden to 21 City goals for the season.

Pep Guardiola’s side remain third, a point behind leaders 🎶Arsenal and level with Liverpool – who host Sheffield United on Thursday – after their first win over a topꦗ-five side this term.

But while little has changed in the table, this was a far more fluid performance fꩲrom the champions days after Arsenal ended their run of 57 consecutive home games w♕ith a goal.

The decision to leave out De Bruyne and Haaland was made with next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid looming, but neither have been at their best since coming back fr😼om injury in recent weeks.

Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku came in to play on the wings and Foden shifted inside, from where he would orchestrate 🐈City’s w✨in.

Villa, already without the injured Ollie Watkins, had to replace goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez due to illness just before kick-off and stand-in Robin Olsen was soon picki𝐆ng the 𝔉ball out of his net.

Foden fed Doku on the right and the Belgian cut it back for Rodri to sweep hom🎉e his eighth goal of the season after 11 minutes.

City’s lead laste💃d only nine minutes before Villa drew level with an excellent counter-attack. Julian Alvarez lost the ball on the edge of the Villa box and the visitors swept forward before Duran played a quick one-two with Morgan Rogers and fired across Stefan Ortega’s goal into the far c🅘orner.

After Jack Greal𒆙ish – booed constantly by his old fans in the Villa end – was booked for dissent when a free-kick went in Douglas Luiz’s favour, Olsen made a fine save with his right boot to deny Alvarez.

Luiz was living dangerously late in the first half. Already booked for bringing down Grealish on the ಌedge of thꦫe area, he then fouled Foden in an almost identical spot in first-half stoppage time.

Darre🌼n England kept his cards in his pocket but Villa were punished anyway as Foden found a gap in the wall left by Nicolo Zaniolo to beat Olsen.

There was still time for Alvarez to go close twice before half-time, with Olsen tipping a close-range heaꦜder over the crossbar, and the goalkeeper was busy again at the start of the second♛ half, denying Bernardo Silva after Foden’s neat pass left him one-on-one.

Vill🌳a threatened on the break as Luiz drove forward and hit a shot that was tipped over by Ortega, who then denied Clement Lenglet from the resulting corner.

But Foden would soon settle the match. In the 62nd minute, Rodri rode Moussa Diaby’s challenge and roll⛎ed the ball inside for Foden to beat Olsen with a first-time shot into the bottom 🎀right corner.

Lewis lashed a shot narrowly wide but the killer fourth goal arrived in the 69th minute. The chance appeared to have gone when Foden lost the ball on the edge of the Villa area, but Calum Chambers scuffed his clearance straight bac🌳k to Foden, and he lashed a shot into the top right corner.