Foden Scores Hat-Trick as Manchester City Overpower Aston Villa

Phil Foden showcased his talent in the absence of Erlinzg Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, scoring a hat-trick as Manchester City secured a resounding 4-1 victory over Aston Villa on Wednesday.

The reigning champions answered doubts about their ability to win crucial matches by closing the gap to just one point behind leaders Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

Before facing fourth-placed Aston Villa, Manchester City had struggled against top-five teams this season, failing to win in six previous attempts.

However, Pep Guardiola exhibited confidence in his squad’s depth by keeping Haaland and De Bruyne on the bench for the entire 90 minutes, mindful of their upcoming fixtures in multiple competitions.

Guardiola has praised Foden as the standout player in the English top-flight this season, and the 23-year-old proved him right by increasing his goal tally for the season to an impressive 21.

A December defeat against Villa was Manchester City’s last loss, as they are now on an unbeaten streak of 24 games.

Jeremy Doku, returning to the City lineup along with three other changes, impressed with a standout performance. Doku played a crucial role in the opening goal, bypassing Lucas Digne to deliver a cross that was expertly finished by Rodri.

Villa faced significant absences, including their usual goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, top scorer Ollie Watkins, and captain John McGinn.

Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, and Leon Bailey were among those left on the bench by Villa’s manager Unai Emery, perhaps prioritizing upcoming matches for a chance at securing Champions League football.

Jhon Duran showcased his ability as a capable replacement for Watkins by scoring a fine equalizer for Villa.

In contrast, Julian Alvarez, filling in for Haaland, missed key chances to score, denied by Robin Olsen on multiple occasions.

However, Manchester City regained the lead before halftime, thanks to Foden’s first goal, a free-kick that found its way through the Villa wall.

Stefan Ortega, City’s second-choice goalkeeper due to Ederson’s injury, made a crucial save after halftime to deny Villa from equalizing again through Douglas Luiz.

Foden sealed the victory for City with two more goals, the first coming from Rodri’s pass and the second a powerful strike from outside the box to complete his hat-trick.

Liverpool has the opportunity to reclaim the top spot when they face bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United on Thursday. However, Manchester City remains confident as they approach the possibility of securing a historic fourth consecutive English top-flight title.

With just one match against a top-six opponent remaining in their final eight games, Manchester City’s challenging run-in seems to be behind them.

The defeat leaves Aston Villa just two points above Tottenham in the race for a top-four finish, with Tottenham having played a game less.