It could yet prove to be Phil Foden’s lightbulb moment. But only the German knows whether that will attract the attention of manager Thomas Tuchel and allow him to include Foden in England’s World Cup squad. If Tuchel had been to the Etihad this week to see for himself, he would have seen a vintage performance from one of England’s most talented footballers.
Particularly genius works stood out. Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Crystal Palace saw Antoine Semenyo open the scoring with Foden’s sublime backheel. In the blink of an eye, Foden fooled three defenders at the same time. He did that before setting up another goal as part of a show with Foden running the match from start to finish.
For Foden, “vintage” may be an ironic adjective. That’s because Foden has not yet reached the ripe old age of 26. But the fact that he has already won 18 trophies, representing perhaps the greatest club team in the history of English football, is an incredible measure of his incredible talent.
However, the talent who deserted Foden this season. Foden was even grateful to Josep Guardiola for giving him a rare start during Palace’s slump. Foden was a master of attacking midfield play and repaid Guardiola’s trust.
But it’s not Guardiola that Foden needs to impress right now. Spaniards know everything about him. Foden would have hoped Tuchel would watch the match on TV. Foden is hoping for a seat on a plane to North America next month, but he is aware of his poor season and the fact that he remains an enigma at international level means he may instead spend June sitting on a luxurious beach somewhere.
Perhaps Foden is finding his best form at a crucial time. Is it better late than never? And he may get the chance to drive home that fact tomorrow when City face Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
That’s because lining up opposite him will be a player who will compete for the same position in Tuchel’s team as Foden wants. The similarities between Foden and Cole Palmer are both remarkable and alarming.
Both are blessed by the soccer gods. Both can change the game with their individual brilliance. And both can be more infuriating than watching Rory McIlroy play golf.
Like Foden, Palmer has been mired in mediocrity this season. Palmer has proven in the past that he’s the right guy for the big moments. He scored a goal in the 2024 Euro final. He also scored a goal in the Club World Cup final.
That’s all well and good, but Palmer hasn’t scored in his last 12 games for club and country. People now call him “Cold Palmer”, which is ironic considering the celebration he received when he scored the final goal.
All of this makes this weekend’s high-profile games all the more important for both Foden and Palmer.
There is no room for either of them in Tuchel’s starting lineup. There may not even be room for two people on the team. It feels like a shootout between two of England’s best gunslingers.
Tuchel is expected to play in the FA Cup final, but if either side can’t seize the chance to impress Tuchel when it matters most, they will have no choice but to stay at home and watch the World Cup.
