Phil Foden's afternoon at Old Trafford turned from bad to worse as he trudged off early during Manchester City's Manchester derby win, a dismissal that could leave the England international sidelined for a month and further complicate what is already shaping up as a difficult third consecutive season.
The midfielder was sent off by referee Michael Oliver for violent conduct after kicking out and connecting with Bruno Fernandes' midriff, a reaction provoked by a kick from the United captain that City boss Enzo Maresca felt should also have resulted in a red card. Despite that mitigation, Maresca accepted Oliver's decision to dismiss Foden was the correct one.
The incident marked only the second red card of Foden's career in 375 appearances for City, and the first for violent conduct — his previous dismissal, for two bookable offences, was widely regarded as harsh. Given how early in the match the sending-off occurred, Foden's suspension effectively amounts to a four-game ban, covering the remainder of the derby, a Carabao Cup tie against Norwich City, and Premier League fixtures against Sunderland and Liverpool.
With Foden also set to miss out on Thomas Tuchel's England squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Spain, Czechia and Croatia — a decision seemingly unrelated to the red card given the crowded competition for the No 10 role featuring Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze, Morgan Gibbs-White and Cole Palmer — the 26-year-old faces roughly a month on the sidelines altogether.
The timing is particularly unfortunate for a player who has not scored since the start of the calendar year, a run stretching 35 games. The upcoming Carabao Cup tie against Championship opposition Norwich could have offered a route back to goalscoring form, potentially even through a stint at centre-forward had Erling Haaland been rested. Instead, Foden will watch from the sidelines.
City's ability to overcome the numerical disadvantage and secure victory away at Old Trafford offered a silver lining for the club, with Haaland noting afterward that winning with ten men was not something he was accustomed to. The result also served as a showcase for Maresca's new-look side, with summer arrivals Enzo Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and Iliman Ndiaye all seizing the opportunity to impress in what was an early test of their fit at the club. Ndiaye in particular stood out on the right flank, filling in for the injured Jeremy Doku, and appears to have offered a glimpse of what Maresca wants from his wide players.
Foden's absence also highlights how the pecking order in his customary No 10 position has shifted. He began the season occupying that role, having benefited from a full pre-season while Rayan Cherki recovered from World Cup duties. However, Cherki's standout display against Crystal Palace — part of a productive run that has yielded eight goals since Foden's last — has seen the Frenchman take over as City's principal creative outlet.
Apart from a productive spell last November and December, Foden has endured an extended goal drought stretching back more than two years to his 27-goal campaign in 2023-24, a season that earned him both the PFA Player of the Year and Football Writers' Player of the Year awards. Now 26 and supposedly entering his prime, Foden instead finds himself in a form slump that reportedly troubled Pep Guardiola at times last season.
Monday's match fell exactly a year after a Manchester derby victory that included a Foden goal, and many had hoped this fixture — given his history of scoring against United — might spark a revival. Instead, the day only added to his struggles.
Based on reporting from The Independent.