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Phil Foden Scores Hat-Trick as Manchester City Crush AEK Athens 5-1 at Etihad Stadium
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Phil Foden scored a hat-trick and assisted once in City’s 5-1 win. Manchester City defeated AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League.
8 outlets told this the same way.
Foden’s Hat-Trick
Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium, with the Englishman netting in a Champions League match that left City out of sight by the final whistle. Enzo Maresca made eight changes from the side that beat Ipswich, and he kept Erling Haaland on the bench after Haaland sustained a blow to the foot in the previous game.
Foden told TNT Sports, "I enjoyed that a lot," after his man-of-the-match display, and he added, "We showed determination again." Foden became just the third Englishman to score a hat-trick and provide an assist in a Champions League match after Wayne Rooney for Manchester United in 2004 and former team-mate Raheem Sterling for City in 2019.
Maresca’s Plan
Enzo Maresca took a risk by making eight changes and then used Foden in a false nine role, with Foden moving into that position later in the game after starting on the right. Foden said he was "Slowly, but surely," when asked if he was returning to his best form, and he told TNT Sports that he was "going in the right direction."
The BBC described Maresca’s approach as a chance to explore his suggestion that Foden could offer a "solution" in the false nine role, after Maresca had named Haaland in the squad but given him the night off. Joleon Lescott told TNT Sports, "Beautiful - that's the word I would use to describe him," and Lescott added, "His finishing was exquisite."
Next Steps in Europe
Manchester City’s win came after a 2-4 defeat to PSG, and the result allowed Enzo Maresca’s team to regain confidence in the Champions League. Manchester City reached six points with the 5-1 victory, and the next match for City was against RB Leipzig on November 4 at 15:00 (Ecuador time).
AEK Athens, who had Luka Jovic start and play 83 minutes, were set to resume in the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid, who would host Leipzig at the Bernabéu in pursuit of their third win. TUDN said City rose to six points and remained, for now, in a position to reach the knockout stages, while the UEFA Champions League resumed in November with Matchday 4.