He's outscoring Foden: Man City must regret selling 'Europe's best winger'
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Manchester City are on course for their worst season since Pep Guardiola’s maiden campaign at the club, way back in 2016/17.
It is the end of a truly wonderful era for the club, which has seen them win six Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2023.
Several first-team players have been way off the pace this term. Kevin De Bruyne has scored just four goals in 30 appearances for City, while Jack Grealish has also faltered in front of goal, netting only two goals all season.
It has been the form of Phil Foden which has been most disappointing, however, as the Englishman has struggled to really get going this season.
Phil Foden’s poor season in numbers for Man City
A tally of ten goals and six assists across 38 games may sound like an impressive tally, but it falls short of the 40 goal contributions he recorded for City last term.
It’s safe to say that he was the best player in the country last term, but since the European Championships were he attracted mass scrutiny, it’s only gone from bad to worse for City’s academy darling.
Indeed, when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the previous 365 days, Foden only manages to rank in the bottom 81% for successful take-ons (0.97) and in the bottom 76% for progressive carries (2.55) and assists (0.12) per 90, illuminating his lack of impact in crucial areas.
His fall from the numbers registered last term, combined with others in the City squad, is just one of the reasons they have struggled throughout 2024/25.
Guardiola even sold someone in the summer of 2023 who is now outperforming Foden this season. Perhaps Pep will regret ever letting him depart…
Man City star is outscoring Foden after leaving the Etihad
Donning Sky Blue, Riyad Mahrez was one of the most elite players in England’s top flight, notably described as “one of the best wingers in Europe” by European football expert Zach Lowy.
Having won the Premier League, the Algerian spent five productive seasons with Man City. Across 236 matches for the Etihad side, he bagged a stunning 78 goals and recorded 56 assists. This works out as a goal contribution every 1.76 games, a stunning return for someone who played mainly on the right flank.
Though, his time came to and end two years when Guardiola sold the 34-year-old for £30m, joining Al-Ahli in the Middle East.
12 goals and 14 assists followed in his first season, but the current campaign has shown Mahrez at his very best.
Indeed, the 26 goal contributions he has recorded this term outstrip Foden by ten, proving there is life in the old dog still.
His former teammate at Leicester City, Kasper Schmeichel, hailed the African gem as “incredible” last year and he has outperformed Foden across a range of performance metrics this season.
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Riyad Mahrez’s Manchester City statistics |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2022/23 |
47 |
15 |
13 |
|
2021/22 |
47 |
24 |
9 |
|
2020/21 |
48 |
14 |
9 |
|
2019/20 |
50 |
13 |
13 |
|
2018/19 |
44 |
12 |
12 |
Domestically, the former City gem has created more big chances (14 vs 7) than Foden, while also averaging more key passes (3 vs 1.7), successful dribbles (1 vs 0.5) and total duels won (3.3 vs 2.5) per game in their respective leagues this season.
While securing £30m for a player who was nearing the end of his career was simply too good to turn down, might Guardiola have acted rather hastily?
Unless Foden rediscovers his touch next term, might he have already peaked as a footballer? Especially considering his impact at the club since he made his debut aged just 17 in 2017.
Mahrez is enjoying life in Asia, that’s for sure.
Related
Man City and Pep now ready to sell £25m star with Atletico Madrid in talks
Pep Guardiola has previously called him “important.”
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