Pep Guardiola has explained his decision behind replacing Phil Foden at half-time during the weekend's victory over Bournemouth at the Etihad Stadium.
The game in question was Manchester City’s 4-0 thrashing of the Cherries, as they welcomed fans back into the Etihad Stadium for the first time this season.
The star of the show was Kevin De Bruyne, who not only scored a goal but also grabbed an assist, as well as the Man of the Match award.
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The goal which the Belgian assisted was Phil Foden’s tap-in - which marked the England international's first goal of the season.
Foden contributed more to Manchester City's offence, as he assisted De Bruyne’s goal earlier in the first-half.
When talking about Phil Foden’s abilities after the victory, manager Pep Guardiola praised his utility and intellect when it comes to occupying the forward quadrants of the pitch.
“Phil (Foden) is so important.
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"He always creates something unexpected, he is dynamic, he is intelligent with his movement.
"But at the same time, he is young and sometimes he still has to understand what he has to do,” said Guardiola.
Despite his contributions in the first-half, the Catalan coach decided to replace Phil Foden with Jack Grealish during the half-time interval.
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Guardiola went in to why he substituted the young Englishman, explaining that it was mainly related to making sure that Grealish was getting enough minutes to build on skills that were worked on during training.
“I wanted to play Jack and do some movements that they have done,” stated Guardiola.
Grealish’s performance against West Ham during the season opener, as well as his multiple appearances in the team’s pre-season tour, were more than enough for Manchester City’s coaching staff to see that he needs more game time.
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“I had the feeling he was ready.
"The games in pre-season and especially against West Ham he was really, really good,” explained the 51-year-old.
Earlier in the week, Foden and De Bruyne - along with four other members of the Manchester City squad - were nominated for the 2022 Ballon D’or.
Who will start alongside De Bruyne in the midfield will remain a mystery ahead of Manchester City’s game against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side on Sunday afternoon, as the Cityzens look to make it three wins to open the season.
Topics: Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Phil Foden, Bournemouth, Premier League, Football
Declan Harris