Manchester City drew 3-3 with Real Madrid – and Thierry Henry has suggested that one player truly became ‘world-class’ last night.
Pep Guardiola‘s side managed to get a draw at the Bernabeu, and it was a pulsating game in Madrid.
City took an early lead through Bernardo Silva, who caught out Andriy Lunin with a clever free-kick. But the hosts hit back with two goals in just a few minutes to stun the visitors.
But City scored two stunning goals in the second-half through Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol, before Fede Valverde equalised against for Real Madrid.
City weren’t at their best, but cannot be too upset about taking a draw back to the Etihad Stadium for the second leg.
A lot of the talk since the game has again been about Phil Foden – and legendary former striker Thierry Henry now believes the youngster has become a world-class player…
Theirry Henry labels Phil Foden ‘world-class’ after stunning goal and display for Manchester City against Real Madrid
Foden scored City’s second goal of the night last night, rifling in an effort from the edge of the box after collecting a square pass from John Stones.
It was a strike that left Gary Lineker wowed. Earlier this week, Lineker had stated that he would vote for Foden as the Player of the Year.
Foden has now hit 22 goals for City across all competitions this season, and he has a further 10 assists on top of that, making this the finest campaign of his career to date.
So often, he has stepped up when City have needed to. Especially when Kevin De Bruyne has not been in the team, as was the case again last night.
It is safe to say that Foden has taken his game to a new level this term, and Thierry Henry now believes the player has entered world-class territory.
He said CBS Sports last night: “What I will say about Phil Foden this year is that when Haaland doesn’t show, or De Bruyne is injured, now he puts that team his shoulder. Now we can start to talk about world-class. We can start to talk about world-class because you put your team on your shoulders.
After some discussion from and England point of view, Henry then added a bit later: “This guy now, is world-class.”
Henry is right about Foden
There can be no denying Phil Foden has now become a world-class player, and Henry’s reasoning is spot on.
He has taken the team on his shoulders plenty of times now this season, stepping up in the absence of key players like De Bruyne and Haaland.
To be doing that for the best team in the world is a sure-fire sign that you are a world-class player.
But then you just watch him play and it is so obvious. He does everything – scores goals, makes assists, works his socks off and shows defensive discipline. What a player, and the remarkable thing is he still has around five years before he reaches his peak years.