da premier bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da roleta： Paul Robinson has named Phil Foden as one of the Manchester City players Liverpool should be wary of this weekend.
What did he say?
The two clubs are set to meet at Anfield on Sunday in a crucial fixture in the title race. A win for Liverpool would put them nine points clear with just 12 games gone and put City’s defence of the title under serious threat.
However, the former England international has stated that Liverpool should be wary of an unexpected man in Foden.
When asked if there is any player the Reds would not want to face, Robinson told Football insider: “Well do you know what…Phil Foden came off the bench and he kind of changed the tempo of the game, he changed the pace of the game, he created chances, he had a couple of chances for himself and I think he’s outstanding.
“He’s obviously a local who is having to bide his time there, but with David Silva going at the end of the season, he’s obviously been earmarked for that position, that slot if you like, so he’s having to bide his time as he’s getting very little game time.
“But when he came off the bench, I thought he was outstanding with everything that he did.”
Time to shine
There is little doubt that Foden is going to be one of City’s main men for the future. The inevitable departure of Silva at the end of the season is eventually going to force the youngster in as one of the club’s playmakers. However, this weekend, Foden has a chance to shine with the Spaniard set to miss the game with an injury.
The academy graduate has once again proved his worth this season, putting in magnificent display against Atalanta a few weeks back. The Englishman has one goal and one assist in the Champions League this season, and against Southampton in the EFL Cup, Foden made one key pass and successfully completed all three dribbles.
With a midfield consisting of names like Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum, the battle could be won and lost in the centre. Foden’s creativity and agile nature could be a worry for such players and he has shown over the last year that he has the capabilities to unlock any defence.
Could it be time for him to fully burst onto the scene with a defining cameo against City’s title nemesis?