Pep: Foden can’t play in sixth gear

PEP GUARDIOLA wants Phil Foden to take his foot off the gas as Manchester City drive in search of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League crown.

Foden, the bookies favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year, added another two goals as City eased past Brighton 4- 0 on Thursday.

Guardiola has moulded the 23year- old into a match-winning central midfielder ready to take over from Kevin De Bruyne and believes the academy graduate is learning the changes in tempo required to master that position.

But the City boss said Foden can still improve his timing.

‘Phil has a sixth gear but he can’t play all the time in that sixth gear,’ Guardiola said. ‘Sometimes he has to play in second or third.

‘ In time, he will learn that. Brighton was much better than the two or three games before and he doesn’t need to always be so quick.

‘In football, sometimes you have to play slower so you can then be quicker to surprise the opponent and at Brighton it was really good. He chose the right moments to attack.

‘I would love him to go in sixth gear every single action but then you are less precise, you lose the ball all the time and that is not effective. You have to know the moments when you have to be more aggressive or calm.’

With 16 goals and seven assists from 31 appearances in the Premier League, Foden is enjoying his best season. He has 24 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.

‘He will understand the game through years and years and experiences,’ Guardiola added. ‘It’s going to take time but he loves to play and his work rate is unbelievable.’