Manchester City's prince has the highest 5 statistics in the game, and the new leader of the midfield is already in the lineup
In the early morning of February 25, Beijing time, the 26th round of the English Premier League staged a key battle, and the defending champion Manchester City visited the Vitality Stadium to challenge the Cherry Army Bournemouth. Academy Prince Foden started the game and scored the only goal of the game to help Manchester City win 1-0 away to take all three points. In this campaign, he had the highest five statistics in the game, and his performance was impressive.
Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish both returned from injury and entered the squad, but did not start. Walker, Doku and Alvarez are also on the bench. Foden joined Mate Usnunes, Mateusnunes, Mateo Kovacic and Erling Haaland in the field, with John Stones Rodri in midfield. From the opening kick-off, City dominated possession and Bournemouth threatened on the counter-attack. In the ninth minute, Foden kept passing the ball and Haaland missed a good chance. One minute later, Colquez fired back and Ederson made a brilliant save. In the 18th minute, Foden knocked on the mountain with a long-range shot. In the 24th minute, Haaland was saved by a defender in the penalty area from a small angle, and Foster Tonmin broke the deadlock with a follow-up shot. In the first half, Manchester City led 1-0.
In the second half, the two sides exchanged attacks and defences, with Haaland and Solanke both missing good chances. Manchester City held on to a steady 1-0 scoreline. Unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions remains in second place in the Premier League. Foden played the whole game, scored one goal on three shots and made four key passes, and scored a game-high 8.7 after the game. In addition, he had four breakaways and one steal, two fouls and five wins from eight ground duels.
So far this season, Foden has played 39 games in all competitions, scoring a double-double of 16 goals and 10 assists, including nine goals and seven assists in 26 Premier League games. He is the No. 2 scorer and joint No. 1 assister in Manchester City's squad. In De Bruyne's absence, he joined forces with Alvarez to carry the banner of attacking playmaking and ensure that City remained in the title race.
Judging from the performance of the game, Foden, who played at the top level in the left winger position, is now more comfortable in the middle. Especially when they have enough possession, the Manchester City prince will be even better. Kevin De Bruyne and Alvarez were both on the bench, with the B bench playing more on the wing, while Mateo Kovacic and Nunes played a supporting role, and Foden not only scored the only goal of the game, but also contributed to the performance of the master midfield.
As things stand, a healthy Kevin De Bruyne is the perfect choice for the heart of Manchester City's midfield, while Foden and Alvarez are already competing in the middle of the midfield, and the Manchester City prince, who is already a midfielder, is clearly superior. Alvarez, who is better at playing as a striker, is slightly awkward in his position due to his lack of speed and technical ability.
Kevin De Bruyne is over 30 years old and the B bench is likely to leave in the summer, and Manchester City are preparing for a rainy day to strengthen their midfield. West Ham United's true nucleus Paqueta and German prodigy Wirtz are both targets. However, looking at Foden's performances, the new leader in midfield that Manchester City are looking for may already be in the squad.