With a couple of different developments, it might have been Lucas Paqueta who was operating in Erling Haaland’s slipstream. Had his hamstring held out, it almost certainly would have been Kevin de Bruyne. Instead, it was Phil Foden. The best player on the pitch, in arguably one of the finest of his 220 first-team performances for Manchester City, the creator-in-chief fashioned seven chances. Newcastle were beaten and Foden, who has been centre forward and false nine, left and right winger at various points, gave his impression of City’s perfect 10, ostensibly operating on the right, in fact wreaking havoc between the lines.
There are two roles that Foden long seemed fated to play for City: either as a No 8 or a No 10. Yet, though he is only 23, there was the sense the future kept being postponed. Maybe it would have been again had De Bruyne, perhaps the Premier League’s greatest ever provider stayed fit, or had Paqueta joined. But while the prospect of a ban for betting hangs over the Brazilian, City will not be paying West Ham £80m for him.
