Pep Guardiola hailed "special" Phil Foden for providing the quality that broke down Atletico Madrid's stern resistance in the Champions League quarter-final. The 21-year-old stepped off the bench to provide the killer pass for Kevin De Bruyne's winner, giving the Blues the edge for next week's return leg.
But Guardiola included Grealish - part of a triple substitution along with Foden and Gabriel Jesus - in his appraisal of how the game changes once his attacking options were shuffled. Foden gave City penetration and threat wide on the right, while Grealish not on tempted Atletico into two yellow card offences but also gave them control as the visitors sought to fight their way back into the game.
City took the lead two minutes after Guardiola's triple substitution, as Foden slid a pass down the side of the defence and De Bruyne planted it in the far corner. That delighted Guardiola, who hurled a water bottle at the ground in his celebration.
