Phil Foden's 'incredible' training performance left Pep Guardiola with no option but to start the winger for Manchester City's win over West Ham, which is hardly surprising to anyone who's seen him kick a football in recent seasons. What is more surprising is that he replaced Riyad Mahrez on the right, rather than Jack Grealish on the left.
This was Foden's first start on the right wing since the opening day of last season, and only his eighth game on the right out of 169 City appearances. The Blues are lighter in that position this year after Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus left, but Foden had made the left-wing his own over the last 12 months and was widely expected to continue there this season.
Not if Jack Grealish has anything to say about it, though, and it was telling that Guardiola singled Grealish out for unprompted praise after the West Ham win as the £100million signing took his good pre-season form into the Premier League.
