Phil Foden admitted he still feels rusty despite scoring his first goal of the season as Manchester City cruised to a 4-0 victory over Slovan Bratislava in the Champions League on Tuesday.
City were in full control from the outset, with Ilkay Gundogan and Foden striking within the first 15 minutes to put the English champions on course for their first European win of the campaign. Erling Haaland added another to his impressive Champions League tally, netting his 42nd goal in 41 appearances before James McAtee rounded off the scoring with his first goal for the club.
Following a 0-0 draw with Inter Milan on matchday one, Pep Guardiola’s side got back on track in Europe, demonstrating their superiority in the Slovak capital.
Foden has been gradually reintroduced to action after his efforts in England’s Euro 2024 run and a bout of illness earlier in the season. The 24-year-old’s performance, though not yet at its peak, was a timely boost for City, who are currently without key players Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri due to injuries.
“I had more chances to score, on another night it could’ve been more – but we’re delighted to win 4-0,” Foden said. “It’s been a slow start to the season for me, so it was nice to get back out there and score. “Very happy with the performance, I know there’s still things I can work on and get better. I’m still a little bit rusty.”
Slovan Bratislava, coming off a heavy 5-1 defeat against Celtic in their opening match, endured another tough night, as Guardiola’s men delivered a tactical masterclass.
Despite making six changes from the team that drew 1-1 at Newcastle on Saturday, Guardiola’s squad looked sharp from the first whistle. Gundogan broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, firing a deflected shot from the edge of the box into the top corner, marking his first goal since returning from Barcelona.
Foden doubled City’s lead eight minutes later with a trademark curled finish into the bottom corner. While Bratislava battled to contain City’s relentless attack, the visitors continued to threaten, with Jeremy Doku hitting the crossbar and Foden’s low shot turned onto the post by goalkeeper Dominik Takac.
In the second half, Haaland added his 11th goal of the season, calmly rounding the keeper after latching onto Rico Lewis’ pass. Guardiola substituted the Norwegian soon after, but City weren’t finished yet. Foden’s clever through ball allowed McAtee to score his first senior goal for the club, capping off a comfortable night for the 2023 Champions League winners.