Timely return to form for Foden

AFTER the shouts came the silence.

- SIMON BAJKOWSKI

This time it wasn't from the Sparta Prague fans, who made their presence felt all night, but from Pep Guardiola. Angry as his team were countered in the first half, the Manchester City manager curtailed his noise as he saw Phil Foden running at full tilt to slow up Lukas Haraslin as the Sparta forward tore towards the City goal.

That then turned to applause as Foden helped to retrieve possession and put City back in control of the game. This was the player that City haven't seen enough of this season, a welcome sight on a night where the squad injury count ticked up to six with news of Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish being sidelined.

Foden had already drawn Guardiola's delight long before his pressing caught the eye, having brushed off a few challenges in a tight space in the third minute and rifled the ball past Peter Vindahl in the Sparta goal. The timing of the goal helped but that wasn't the only thing that felt similar to the last league game of last season, when Foden struck early to crown his team and ensure he won the three biggest individual prizes of the campaign.