Phil Foden’s long wait for a goal ended in the sort of finish that tends to make a drought look rather less complicated: a simple left-footed touch from close range, three points for Manchester City, and a reminder of what the midfielder can bring when he is back in the side.
The 25-year-old scored 19 minutes after coming on in City’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich, converting Jeremy Doku’s pass to put his team ahead. It was Foden’s first goal since 14 December 2025, when he scored in a 3-0 win against Crystal Palace, bringing a personal barren spell of 307 days to a close.
Foden answers the call
- Foden returned to the matchday squad after a three-game suspension, imposed following his kick at Bruno Fernandes while on the ground in the Manchester derby.
- Before the Ipswich fixture, Enzo Maresca predicted that Foden would score the following day.
- Foden was introduced and needed only 19 minutes to find the net, collecting Doku’s delivery before finishing with his left foot from close range.
- City went on to win 3-2, a result that helped Maresca make the strongest start by a newly appointed manager in Premier League history.
For Foden, it was a goal carrying more weight than its distance from the line. The Premier League’s player of the season in 2023-24 had endured a reduced role under Pep Guardiola during the previous campaign. He did not play in the tie against Real Madrid, while his form also left him out of England’s World Cup squad.
Former City midfielder Michael Brown had wondered whether there might have been an underlying physical issue, suggesting Foden could have been carrying a knock or injury that prevented him reaching his usual training levels. Whatever the cause, the player had been waiting for the moment to turn the page.
A goal for confidence
Foden said the strike had been badly needed and believed it could only help his confidence. His priority, he added, remained doing his part for the team.
After being named man of the match, Foden described scoring as the best feeling. He said he sets himself demanding targets for goals and assists, and had worked hard on the training ground during the spell without a goal. “The first one is always the hardest,” he said.
He also reflected on the frustration of his suspension. Having been unable to play for more than a month, he said patience had been required, with individual training sessions part of an awkward period. Returning to the pitch, scoring and taking all three points had been the outcome he had been thinking about for some time.
Numbers and a possible new role
The Ipswich goal took Foden’s Manchester City record to 111 goals and 70 assists in 376 appearances. None of those 111 goals has come from the penalty spot.
With no natural replacement for Erling Haaland in the squad, Maresca has also left open the possibility of using Foden as a false nine. Haaland remains City’s recognised centre-forward, but Foden has played through the middle before and could be asked to do so again.
For now, though, City will settle for a more straightforward development: one of their most gifted players has rediscovered the scoring touch that had been missing for far too long.
