Foden has four goals in his last two games after a 10-month wait, and City have won seven straight Premier League games.
Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday, 20 October. It was City's second win in the competition this season, Sky Sports reported, and Foden's fourth career hat-trick in all competitions, ESPN reported.
Manchester City forward Phil Foden had struggled for two years, and his form dipped enough that he missed out on England's World Cup squad this summer, ESPN reported. According to Sky Sports, Foden went ten months without scoring before four goals came in two consecutive matches.
Elliot Anderson, the England international, opened the scoring in the 12th minute, steering home a rebound from Enzo Fernandez's free-kick for his first City goal. Foden made it 2-0 at 34 minutes, combining with Rico Lewis before finishing past Alberto Brignoli. Stavros Pilios pulled one back for AEK early in the second half, but Rayan Cherki restored City's lead five minutes later.
Foden scored again at 65 minutes, a Lewis pass setting him up for a finish into the top corner. He completed his hat-trick 14 minutes from time, tapping in from a pass by Ryan McAidoo.
Erling Haaland, rested after an injury scare, stayed on the bench throughout. City manager Enzo Maresca gave 17-year-old Floyd Samba the chance to deputise in his place.
Maresca said he had talks with Foden to help him find his form. "Since we started I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning," he said. He also said he had said since day one that he considers Foden "one of the best English players". Maresca added that Foden had not been good enough in recent seasons, for different reasons, but that he knows how good the player is.
Foden told TNT Sports how he sees his comeback:
"Slowly, but surely. Still got a long way to go, but I am going in the right direction."
He added that scoring along the way definitely helps, and that he wants to keep working hard for the manager and the team.
On the other bench, AEK Athens boss Marko Nikolic said: "We wanted to be dangerous with the ball. But of course the quality in the finishing phase from City was brutal." He added that City "punished every mistake".
City sit three points clear at the top of the Premier League, the Guardian reported. This was their 10th win in 12 matches in all competitions this season, and only Barcelona have won more among sides in Europe's big-five leagues, Sky Sports and BBC Sport noted.
City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, the next test for the Premier League leaders.
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