Phil Foden takes another backward step at Man City, his 0% stat is embarrassing

Phil Foden came off the bench and was incredibly disappointing as Manchester City lost 2-1 to Aston Villa.

Nicolas Jackson scored twice for the home side, who had been pegged back by Erling Haaland's second-half header.

The Citizens had won all seven of their previous Premier League fixtures so far this season, but ultimately came up short in the face of Unai Emery's energetic team.

Many had expected Foden to start against Villa, after he had scored four goals and provided an assist in his last two games.

The midfielder netted a hat-trick against AEK Athens on Tuesday, and had notched the opener in last week's narrow win over Ipswich Town.

Enzo Maresca opted to turn to him on the bench, however, and would be disappointed by the display he got in return.

Phil Foden's disappointing display vs Aston Villa

Maresca turned to Foden for creativity and danger in and around the Villa penalty box as Man City looked to turn the game around.

What he got was a lackadaisical display that saw the 26-year-old overhit crosses and struggle to leave any impression.

A well overhit ball that flew straight out of play in stoppage time rather summed up Foden and Man City's afternoon.

The midfielder would fail to take a shot on goal, creating one chance in his 45 minutes on the pitch.

He took only three touches in the opposition penalty area, failed to complete a single dribble, and made only one recovery.

Perhaps worst of all, Foden won 0 per cent of the duels he contested and was ultimately clamped out of the game.

Foden's usual purple patch has come early

Foden has not been quite the same player for Man City in recent years as he once was.

At his peak, the 2023-24 campaign, the England international netted a remarkable 27 goals across all competitions and provided 13 assists.

His tally in the three seasons since, so far, adds up to the same number of goals, with his best form usually confined to a brief period.

In the 2024-25 season, Foden's best period came in January, with all but two of his eight goal contributions coming outside of a four-game period.

The following season saw it come in November, with a similar case again happening over a four-game period. If that purple patch has already arrived and gone this season, the midfielder is in for a dismal campaign.