Pep must drop Foden to unleash Man City's "electric" star vs Crystal Palace
da gbg bet： Can Manchester City move three points closer to securing Champions League qualification?
da 888casino： Last Sunday’s goalless Manchester derby, described by Richard Jolly of the Independent as ‘one of the worst games in Premier League history’, leaves the Sky Blues sixth in the table, a point below both Chelsea and Newcastle, the current occupants of the final two Champions League spots.
Pep Guardiola’s team have a pretty kind fixture list between now and the end of the season, but one of their toughest remaining games is Saturday’s early kick-off, with in-form Crystal Palace the visitors to the Etihad.
If Man City are to collect three precious points, Guardiola must leave out one of his favourite players and unleash the Citizens’ ‘electric’ attacker.
Why Phil Foden should be dropped
Phil Foden was substituted after just 57 minutes at Old Trafford last Sunday, having registered only 27 touches, completed a mere 61% of his 18 passes, missing one big chance and creating zero for others; all statistics courtesy of SofaScore.
This, though, is no outlier, as outlined in the table below.
Phil Foden season-by-season statistics
Statistics
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
Appearances
48
53
40
Minutes
2,660
4,276
2,732
Goals
15
27
10
Assists
8
13
6
Goals – xG
+5.1
+10.5
+3.2
Shots on target %
52.3%
42.9%
32.3%
Chances created
59
93
71
Pass completion %
81.5%
85.9%
84.4%
Shot-creating actions
119
182
121
Progressive passes
110
221
142
Touches per 90
69
72
61
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and Squawka
As the table above demonstrates, Foden’s form has massively dipped, compared to last season, especially, when he was named PFA Players’ Player of the Year.
James Westwood of Goal believes the England international has ‘regressed’ this season, going from talismanic ‘dazzling performances’ to now where his performances range from ‘mediocre to downright poor’.
Speaking on the Guardian Football Weekly podcast, Nooruddean Choudry believes Guardiola has been ‘too loyal’ to out-of-form players who have served him well in the past, so should he bench Foden against Crystal Palace and unleash a fresher face?
Who should Man City start instead of Foden?
Jérémy Doku is certainly an enigmatic player, with Thom Harris of the Athletic describing him as ‘unique’ and a ‘star dribbler’, while adding that his ‘final pass can sometimes be poor’.
The statistics in the table below crystallize why.
Jérémy Doku 2024/25 Premier League statistics
Statistics
Doku
Percentile rank vs wingers
Goals
3
79th
Assists
4
48th
Expected assists
3.5
39th
Shot-creating actions
60
73rd
Goal-creating actions
9
47th
Shots on target %
39.1%
59th
Progressive carries
166
1st
Take-ons attempted
166
2nd
Take-on success %
55.4%
26th
Carries into the final third
77
3rd
Carries into the penalty area
77
1st
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com
The table certainly backs up the claim that Doku is an excellent dribbler, ranked first for progressive carries and carries into the opposition area, while only Mohammed Kudus of West Ham has attempted more take-ons.
However, the fact Doku ranks in the 26th percentile when it comes to take-on success percentage suggests he could still improve.
Meantime, the Belgian has scored just six goals across all competitions this season, two of which came against fourth-tier Salford, ranked significantly lower for goals, assists, expected assists, shooting, and chance creation.
Nevertheless, Guardiola himself named Doku, as well as Savinho, as key figures in the “new look” Manchester City, making it even more curious that both began the derby on the bench.
So, against a Crystal Palace team who will be without the suspended captain Marc Guéhi, as well as, potentially, fellow centre-backs Maxence Lacroix and Chadi Riad too due to injury, Doku’s ‘electric’ pace, as described by David O’Brien, should be unleashed as Man City seek victory on Saturday.
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