Phil Foden made his Premier League debut in the 2017-18 season and has gone on to make 192 appearances in the competition for Manchester City.
The England international has made a further 61 appearances in the Champions League, scoring 18 goals, providing 13 assists and winning the competition in the 2023-24 season.
Pep Guardiola has carefully managed Foden throughout his years at Manchester City, using the English midfielder in a variety of roles and helping him towards the PFA Player of The Season award in the 23-24 season.
But with Kevin de Bruyne having left at the end of the 24-25 season, Foden now has the challenge on his hands of stepping up and helping to replace the Belgian.
The 25-year-old is entering his eighth season of senior football, but how has he evolved over the last five seasons?
Chance creation
Despite plenty of change in the underlying creation numbers of Foden over the past five years, his assists have stayed at around the 0.3 per 90 mark, with his worst assists average coming last season with 0.2 per 90.
Foden averaged his most crosses attempted and completed in the 2021-22 season, which was actually the season before Erling Haaland joined the club, who began to make use of those crosses into the box.
The 23-24 season was easily Foden’s best for chance creation, averaging 2.2 chances created per 90, playing 9.6 forward passes per 90 and completing 0.5 through balls per 90.
Despite the England international’s passing accuracy, forward passes and through balls all dropping off in the 24-25 season, the 25-year-old was still able to average 2.2 chances created per 90.
Foden’s involvement dropped off during the 24-25 season, only making 28 appearances compared to his 35 and 32 in the two seasons prior.
He also averaged fewer passes and fewer touches in the 24-25 season compared to the two seasons prior, dropping from 72.3 touches per 90 (23-24) to 61.6 per 90 (24-25).
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Goal threat
Foden has scored double digit goals in two of his last five campaigns, netting 11 goals in the 22-23 season and a whopping 19 goals in the 23-24 season.
The English midfielder’s shooting metrics went through the roof in the 23-24 campaign, averaging 75% shot accuracy, managing 1.6 shots on target per 90 and scoring 0.2 goals per 90 from outside the box.
In the three seasons prior, Foden had averaged between 1-1.2 shots on target per 90, scoring zero goals from outside the box in 20-21, whilst scoring 0.1 goals from outside the box in 21-22 and 22-23.
Last season was Foden’s worst season when it comes to shooting metrics and overall goal threat, recording his worst shot accuracy (44.44%), scoring zero goals from outside the box and having his lowest conversion rate at 19.44%.
He also had his first season in the last five of averaging less than one shot on target per 90, with 0.9, despite managing his second highest shot volume in the last five seasons at 1.9 per 90.
Dribbling
Foden’s dribbling metrics don’t seem to follow the same pattern as his others, with his dribbling metrics getting progressively worse over the past five seasons.
His highest take-ons completed came in the 20-21 season, averaging 2.2 take-ons completed per 90, overrunning zero of his take-ons, winning 1.9 fouls per 90 and making his way into the box 7.2 times per 90.
Despite the 23-24 season being unanimously Foden’s best season for underlying metrics thus far, his dribbling numbers weren’t as strong, only completing 1.5 take-ons per 90, overrunning 0.2 take-ons per 90, averaging 6.4 touches in the opposition penalty area and being tackled three times per 90.
Foden also had his two lowest take-on success percentages in his last two seasons, with a 50.54% in the 23-24 season and then an even lower 37.84% in the 24-25 season.
The England international lost the ball less frequently in his last two seasons, with 13.1 and 12.3 per 90. However, this slight reduction in risk is clearly affecting his efficiency in dribbling, especially when it comes to getting the better of his man.
What next?
With De Bruyne now gone, Foden will have to return to his best form in order to ease the burden on City’s new signings such as Rayan Cherki.
After possibly his worst season in recent years, the England international could be sparked back to life with it being a World Cup year.
Competition for places in his position are tougher than ever, as the likes of Jude Bellingham, Cole Palmer and even Morgan Rogers have been in fine form.
This could mean Foden’s performances this season make or break his chances of being selected for Thomas Tuchel’s squad, which should give him that extra bit of motivation to bounce back to his best!