Can Phil Foden Be a Key Player for Man City Under Enzo Maresca?
Phil Foden's best season in a Manchester City shirt came back in 2023-24, when he racked up 19 goals and eight assists in the Premier League and looked every inch a generational talent.Since then, his form has dipped noticeably. He struggled for regular minutes under Pep Guardiola last season and was even left out of Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the World Cup.
©
A New Era at Manchester City
The scale of change at City this summer is enormous. Guardiola's departure alone would represent a seismic shift, but he's not walking out the door alone. Rodri, John Stones, and Bernardo Silva have all left the club, following on from Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan, and Ederson departing the year before.That's a staggering amount of leadership, experience, and quality exiting Manchester City within the space of two transfer windows. Enzo Maresca inherits a squad that, while still talented, is short on the senior figures who used to steady the ship during difficult spells.
Foden's Chance to Step Up
That void is exactly where Foden's opportunity lies. At just 26 but already in his ninth season of senior football, he has the experience of City's golden era but still plenty of career left to shape a new one.Maresca will need players capable of stepping into leadership roles, and Foden's homegrown status, technical ability, and familiarity with the club's demands make him an obvious candidate to become the on-pitch figurehead of this transitional squad.
Enzo Maresca
Can Maresca Bring the Best Out of Foden?
Tactically, Maresca's approach, built around patient possession, positional discipline, and quick combinations in tight areas, should, in theory, suit a player of Foden's technical profile. The question is confidence. Foden's dip in form has looked as much psychological as physical at times, and a change in manager, system, and surrounding personnel could either free him up or add further uncertainty during a turbulent rebuilding season.There's also opportunity in reduced competition. With so many senior midfielders and defenders gone, City's forward areas may see Foden handed a more central, more permanent role rather than being rotated in and out as he was last season. Regular football, consistent selection, and a manager willing to build around him could be exactly the reset his career needs.
Whether Foden becomes the player City need him to be will likely define how smoothly this transition goes. Given his talent and his history at the club, he remains one of the most compelling storylines of City's season, a player with everything to prove and, for the first time in a while, a genuine platform to prove it on.
Foden is up for the challenge as well, stating:
"Obviously I have been in the club for so long, I am one of the last remaining players to have been here for a long time.
So, I think I have to be this season, one of the leaders, one of the captains or in and around it for sure."
So, I think I have to be this season, one of the leaders, one of the captains or in and around it for sure."