Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GLAD TO PHIL HIS BOOTS
Foden seizes rare chance to shine
PHIL FODEN produced an exciting performance that was worth the wait to inspire Manchester
City into round four.
On his first start of the season, City and England’s big young hope scored one goal and helped set up two others as the Blues began their Cup defence comfortably.
Despite the £220million of talent Pep Guardiola (below) unleashed on Karl Robinson’s League One strugglers it was local academy lad Foden who caught the eye in the central role many hope he will grow to own for England.
His two glorious passes in the build-up led to City’s first two goals, scored by Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez. And he capped his star showing with a deserved first senior goal of his career.
Foden has had few chances to impress with so much competition for a place in City’s star-studded squad. And it may have been a routine League Cup victory against lowly opposition but he made the most of this rare chance to impress.
Aro Muric, City’s new back-up goalkeeper after Claudio Bravo’s long-term injury, and Brahim Diaz also started for the first time this season.
City dominated from the first whistle and thought they had the opener after 18 minutes but Jesus’s tap-in was ruled out for offside.
Such was City’s domination that when
Oxford responded by stringing a few passes together for the first time they were greeted with cheers.
Normal service was soon resumed and though Oxford defended heroically at times to keep City at bay the inevitable opener arrived nine minutes before the break.
Foden sprayed an inch-perfect 40-yard ball out wide to Diaz whose shot deflected to Jesus who headed in from close range.
City had players queuing up to score their second after the break but they had to wait until Foden sliced Oxford’s defence apart with a brilliantly-timed, inch-perfect 78th-minute pass to send Mahrez away to double City’s lead.
Foden had the final say when he slammed in Raheem Sterling’s pass in injury time.