Phil Foden was magnificent against AEK Athens, and within roughly eleven minutes of the final whistle, a large part of the internet had crowned him the saviour of goalscoring itself.
He is a superb footballer. He picks the pass, finds the half-space, and makes defenders look like they are running through wet cement. Nobody needs to exaggerate that.
But the Haaland-free night has produced a theory that Foden, a player who has spent much of his career being the most gifted man in a room of very gifted men, is now the single load-bearing pillar of City’s attack. One fan declared strikers obsolete. Another suggested Pep Guardiola auction the number nine shirt. A third wrote, and I am quoting directly, “the prophecy is fulfilled.”
Let us slow down. A midfielder who scores and creates on a good night is a gift. A midfielder cast as the replacement for a striker who scores thirty a season is a job description written by someone who has only watched the highlights.
Foden will not thank anyone for the messiah tag. Give him the credit he earned, which was considerable, and leave the robes in the cupboard.