Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has lavished praise on “top-class” Phil Foden for his outstanding form, but insisted the attacker can still improve.
Foden struck the only goal in Saturday’s 1-0 win at Bournemouth to move the Premier League champions to within one point of leaders Liverpool after 26 fixtures.
It was Foden’s 16th effort in all competitions this campaign, which equals his previous best tally from the 2020-21 season and made it six goal involvements during February after he hit a hat-trick at Brentford earlier this month.
“Forget about the goals. Of course they’re important, but do you know how he played? How he controls and accelerates. He has become already a top-class football player,” Guardiola explained.
“He was before a little boy, good actions. Now he has become already a world-class top player. So good. He can play everywhere, especially in the central positions, which is really, really good.
“In the middle, I think in the (Club) World Cup in Saudi Arabia, he play really good, he understand more the game. His work ethic and how he runs, everything. He has become a top, top class player.
“He’s young and can improve. Always I had the feeling that Phil always had the sense of goal.
“Always had this sense of he can score. I met him when he is 16-years-old, he train with us and a little bit like Cole Palmer, arrive there and always have the feeling they can score.
“Phil has this incredible ability, this incredible ability to do it.”
Foden’s latest decisive effort made it 15 wins from 17 matches for City who remain in the hunt to achieve another treble after last season’s Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League triumphs.
Next up for Guardiola’s side is a trip to Luton on Tuesday for an FA Cup fifth-round tie, which is the final fixture of a busy February where they have juggled three competitions.
City’s schedule shows no sign of easing though with league encounters to come against Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal in March.
Guardiola added: “We are tired, but we recover. We’ll sleep good, we’ll eat good and we will be ready for Luton. We want to go through. I know it’s very difficult but it is what it is.
“We played Champions League and all the teams have a long week in the Champions League because the schedule is there. (Then) we played against Brentford and Brentford is dentist. Going to the dentist without anaesthetic.
“Do you know why we played against Brentford (last week)? We played the World Cup in Saudi Arabia, two games.
View this post on Instagram“I see the schedule, (every) three days and after Tuesday to Sunday, then we have Champions League and then we have another one. United, then maybe I don’t know FA Cup or Brighton, then after Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa. So, yeah still we are there.
“One point behind after being champions for everything. That is good. I don’t know what is going to happen with my players after they win everything, how they would react? Oh my god. Better than is possible. Impossible, impossible.
“Every year it’s tough, but I love that it is tough. Okay, we accept it. We accept the challenge, that’s for sure.
“We accept the challenge to be good. I know Arsenal and Liverpool, what a team they (both) are.
“And step by step, as much as we are there, we can arrive the last games being there and everything can happen.
“With these players, with this genetic personality and mentality, no matter what competition always they perform and give everything.”
Chicago Fire v Atlanta United: ‘Think like champions’ urges Giakoumakis
Atlanta United must “think like champions” if they are to correct their form, says striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The Five Stripes face the Chicago Fire this weekend, as they look to return to winning ways after three games without a victory.
Indeed, they lost to FC Cincinnati last time out, and Giakoumakis believes Atlanta must correct a mentality issue.
“One simple thing I can tell you is that we have to stay concentrated,” said Giakoumakis.
“Think like champions, because you cannot drop this amount of points when you are leading a game.”
Atlanta are seventh in the Eastern Conference, six places and two points better off than the Fire, who have lost two of their last four games.
“Number one, there are no easy matches in MLS,” said Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda. “It is always difficult to play in that stadium; sometimes it can be windy. They have very good players, and they have a very good coaching staff that prepares them to compete at the highest level.
“The process we have, we expect it to translate to three points. At times, you have to create certain situations on the field to spark a reaction, and some toughness or some resilience.
“That will bring more discussions and more accountability… as much as it hurt me and my coaching staff (losing five points), you can see it hurt them. They were not happy with that, and that is why I think they will have a good response against Chicago.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chicago Fire – Brian Gutierrez
Gutierrez is the Fire’s leading scorer this season, with three goals, which have come from five shots on target.
Atlanta United – Giorgos Giakoumakis
Giakoumakis has scored four goals in three career matches against Chicago, scoring at least once in each match. Four players have scored in their first four regular-season matches against the Fire, including just one, Cory Burke (five straight from 2018-21), since 2011.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Atlanta have won only four of their last 39 away matches in all competitions (D14 L21) dating back to early April 2022. The Five Stripes are winless in their last nine away from home (D4 L5).
Chicago’s 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake last week equalled the largest margin of defeat in a home match in club history (4th time in all competitions). The Fire have lost six of their last 10 home matches in all competitions (W3 D1) after losing two of their previous 17 at home.
The home side is unbeaten in the last 11 meetings between the Fire and Atlanta United (W9 D2). In fact, the only road win in the 14 regular-season meetings was a 2-1 victory for Atlanta in Chicago in 2018.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Chicago Fire – 37.9%
Atlanta United – 33.3%
Draw – 28.8%
New York Red Bulls v Vancouver Whitecaps: Facing Eastern Conference teams ‘like going to the casino’
Vanni Sartini is anticipating a tight encounter when his Vancouver Whitecaps team face the New York Red Bulls.
Vancouver have enjoyed a fine start to the MLS season and sit second in the Western Conference.
The Red Bulls, meanwhile, are in second place in the East.
This game will be the first meeting of the teams since 2019, and Sartini joked that facing sides from a different Conference is akin to a trip to a casino.
He said: “It’s going to be hard. It’s like going to the casino when you play the Eastern teams – you never know!
“Maybe you’ll face the team in last, the team that’s in first place. Unfortunately this season we’re going to play the Red Bulls, who are doing very well.”
Explaining what he expects to see from the Red Bulls, Sartini added: “They’re a team with a very distinct and particular style of play, like we have, to be honest.
“We need to be very intense, because that’s what they are, they are very intense in pressing, counter-pressing, counter-attacks and we need to be very well organised. It’s a game that will be decided in the second half, it’s going to be tight until the end – that’s what I feel.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
New York Red Bulls – Lewis Morgan
Morgan is enjoying a fine campaign, and he leads the Red Bulls’ scoring efforts with six goals in MLS.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White
White joined the ‘Caps from the Red Bulls in 2021. He has scored four goals in MLS this season, making him Vancouver’s leading scorer.
MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN
Ryan Gauld and White have each contributed to at least one goal in their last five MLS appearances, equalling the longest streak in Whitecaps’ history. Prior to them, only three players in team history had recorded a goal contribution in five straight matches.
With 16 points through eight matches, the Whitecaps are off to the joint-best eight-match start in club history (also 2015). Vancouver have never had more than 17 points (2012) after nine matches of a season before.
The Red Bulls have lost only one of their first nine matches this season (W4 D4), the second time in club history they have had fewer than two losses at this stage of a season, along with their Supporters’ Shield winning 2015 campaign (also W4 D4 L1).
Six of the 12 all-time meetings between the Red Bulls and Whitecaps have been drawn (Whitecaps W4, Red Bulls W2), but New York are anticipated to win this one.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
NYRB – 48.9%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 23.3%
Draw – 27.8%
Brazil legend Marta to retire from international football
Brazil star Marta has announced she will retire from international football at the end of 2024.
The 38-year-old is the all-time highest scorer for Brazil, netting 116 goals in 175 matches for the national team.
She is also the top-scorer in the Women’s World Cup with 17 goals, finishing as a runner-up in 2007 when Brazil lost in the final to Germany.
The forward has won three Copa America Femenina titles and was part of the Brazil team that won silver medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.
Marta could make her sixth appearance for Brazil at this year's Games if she is selected in the squad at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"If I go to the Olympics, I will enjoy every moment, because, regardless of whether I go to the Olympics or not, this is my last year with the national team," Marta told CNN in an interview on Thursday.
"There will be no more Marta from 2025 in the national team as an athlete.
"I am very calm about this because I see with great optimism this development that we are having in relation to young athletes."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
