Foden: City can’t take foot off the gas after going eight points clear

Phil Foden has warned Manchester City’s title rivals they are going to keep their foot on the gas after pulling eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.

While Liverpool and ChelseaslippedupafterChristmas, Foden’s goal made it 10 league wins on the spin for City as they edged past Brentford 1-0.

“It was an important win,” Foden said.

“Brentford made it really difficult, they are a physical team, very dangerous off set pieces so we had to keep going until the final whistle and I’m proud of the team for doing that.

“Around Christmas time, you can’t take your foot off the gas, you have to keep going andremainfocusedwhichthis team is doing at the moment and you can see we are getting lots of points.

“It is the most challenging league in the world and it just goestoshowthatyoucandrop points at any time.

“The team is remaining focusedatthemomentandplaying really well so I am happy.”

The winning goal arrived in the 16th minute, Kevin De Bruyne whipping in a firsttime cross from the right which Foden expertly guided home with his in-step.

After the interval Foden and Aymeric Laporte both hadtheballinthenetbutwere pulledupforoffside,whileDe Bruyne hit the near post with a skidding effort from the edge of the area.

Yet Brentford’s had their chances too, notably when Joao Cancelo had to clear YoaneWissa’sshotofftheline.

Theirperformance,allthe more impressive given they were without 11 first-team players, capped off a memorable 2021 for the Premier League new boys.

Bees boss Thomas Frank said: “It’s been an incredible 2021, but I always want more, so we’ll see if we can make it better in 2022. It’s been a fantasticjourneysofar,butwe’ve only just started.”

City boss Guardiola said: “We won the game, we are on a good run, but it’s the end of December.

“There are many games to go.Weareeightpointsinfront butthereare54stilltoplayfor andmanytoughgamesstillto play. I’m not going to believe anyone who says it’s already done. The teams we have with Chelsea and Liverpool are more than exceptional.

“We have the distance not because they dropped points but because we won 10 in a row. But there are 54 points still to play for.”