Guardiola Backs Foden: I Believe He Can Reclaim His Title as the Premier League’s Best

Manchester City star Foden has not reached the level of performance he displayed last season, but head coach Guardiola has expressed full confidence that Foden will bounce back.

Last season, Foden contributed 28 goals across various competitions for both his club and national team, earning him the PFA Player of the Year award. However, this season, he has only started once in five games, which was during the League Cup match against Watford, while coming off the bench in the other four.

Before Manchester City travels to Slovakia for their Champions League away game against Slovan Bratislava, Guardiola stated that he is not worried about Foden’s form and firmly believes that the player is gradually regaining his best shape.

“There are many things I worry about, but Foden’s return to form is a certainty. As long as he maintains a positive mindset, he can return to the top,” said Guardiola.

“In the game against Newcastle, even though he only played for 30 minutes, I saw some positive changes that were not present in the Watford match.”

Although Foden has yet to score this season, the upcoming trip to Bratislava, where the team suffered a 1-5 defeat to Celtic in their first Champions League match, could be an opportunity for him to break his goal-scoring drought.

“Don’t forget that after the European Championship, he had two months without training and also dealt with minor injuries,” Guardiola added. “But now he’s smiling again and recovering his form.”

“He was the best player in the Premier League last season and is crucial for us. I have full confidence in him and believe he will quickly find his form again.”

Manchester City drew their first Champions League group stage match against Inter Milan and are expected to easily beat Slovan Bratislava on Tuesday. However, Guardiola stated, “I hold the highest respect for all teams in the Champions League, especially when playing away. We hope to show a positive attitude in the game and get the results we need.”