Savinho responds as Phil Foden shares emotional message after Man United blown away
Manchester City star Phil Foden dedicated his side’s comprehensive win over Manchester United on Sunday to the late Ricky Hatton.
Before the derby kicked off on 14 September, rivals Man City and Man United paid tribute to boxing legend Hatton.
Pep Guardiola’s men raced to a 3-0 victory, thanks to Foden’s first-half header and Erling Haaland’s second-half brace.
Meanwhile, Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Newcastle United are set to offer Tino Livramento a new contract to fend off interest from Manchester City.
Savinho responds as Phil Foden dedicates Manchester City win to Ricky Hatton
Foden’s goal in Man City’s derby win over Man United marked the England international’s first of the new Premier League season.
The 25-year-old will hope to have a similar impact when Guardiola’s side take on Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday, 18 September.
Meanwhile, taking to Instagram on 14 September, Foden wrote: “Back to it! That was for you Ricky.”
Fellow Manchester City ace Savinho commented with three fire emojis.
Phil Foden must use Manchester Derby heroics to reignite his best form
Foden portrayed himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world when he notched an impressive return of 27 goals and 12 assists in 53 appearances across all competitions in the 2023/24 season.
| Phil Foden stats | Premier League 2025/26 |
| Appearances | 2 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 0 |
His 19 goals and eight assists in the Premier League that campaign played a major role in helping Guardiola’s men win their fourth consecutive top-flight title.
However, as Manchester City fell below their previously lofty standards last season, Foden scored just seven goals in 28 Premier League appearances.
Therefore, the 25-year-old must use his starring role in Man City’s big win over Man United as a platform to kick on from, and re-establish his best form.
Guardiola’s men have already suffered two Premier League defeats this season and cannot afford any more slip-ups soon, if they want to keep up with defending champions Liverpool in the title race.
Furthermore, Foden has lots of work to do to get himself back into England contention ahead of next summer’s World Cup.