Sixteen months ago, Phil Foden was the toast of the Etihad, capping his breakthrough season with two goals against West Ham to secure Manchester City's fourth successive Premier League title in a year when he was voted the best footballer in England.

It should have been the launchpad for Foden's career to go the stratospheric level that has long seemed his destiny. The academy graduate scored 27 goals and set up 13 more that season and looked ready to inherit Kevin De Bruyne's mantle as the creative heart of Pep Guardiola's team.

Instead, it feels like a lost 16 months as Foden seeks to rediscover that form. With De Bruyne now actually out of the picture, Foden isn't the heir apparent at the moment. After a 2024/25 season where injuries hit hard and off-pitch issues set him back, he ha

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