Phil Foden vows to fight for Manchester City place under Pep Guardiola
England midfielder Phil Foden has vowed to fight for his place at Manchester City after falling down the pecking order under manager Pep Guardiola in 2026.
The 25-year-old has endured a frustrating period of reduced playing time and has not completed a full 90 minutes since a Premier League draw against Chelsea on 4 January.
Despite a blistering start to the campaign where he scored eight goals in nine games across November and December, the playmaker has started just eight of City’s past 20 fixtures.
His most recent appearance was restricted to a late cameo from the substitutes’ bench during Sunday’s Carabao Cup victory over Arsenal.
Determined to rediscover peak form
The academy graduate remains philosophical about his current situation and is focused on regaining the trust of his Catalan manager.
“Football sometimes is not straightforward,” Foden stated.
“There are ups and downs and sometimes you can’t be the best version of yourself and that’s the way it is.”
Rather than expressing frustration, the versatile attacker intends to use the upcoming international break as a springboard to sharpen his match fitness.
“It’s just about how you pick yourself back up,” he added.
“I’m still keeping my head down, trying to train as well as I can every day and hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper to get more minutes.”
Focus shifts to World Cup ambitions
His immediate attention now turns to international duty after being named in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
Securing regular club football will be vital for his aspirations of making the final cut for the upcoming World Cup tournament this summer.
“Every time you get selected for your country, it’s the biggest thing you can feel as a football player,” he said.
The reigning Premier League champion currently boasts 47 caps and four goals for the Three Lions.
He will be hoping to add to that tally in the coming days to remind his club manager of his undeniable quality.
