Phil Foden, Bernardo Silva and how we can match their joy in the modern Man City's moral maze

It’s been a very entertaining seven months covering Manchester City as Fan Brands editor at the MEN but one moment stands out as the most jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring from Pep Guardiola’s team. Bernardo Silva’s scorching volley at Aston Villa in December came within a purple patch when City seemed to be staging their own goal-of-the-season competitions - the sort of strike that makes you do weird involuntary noises and leaves you open-mouthed.

But, as I move on to pastures new (yes, forgive the self-indulgence), it’s also worth reflecting that Bernardo’s masterpiece was not even my favourite goal scored by City at Villa Park in 2021. That distinction goes to Phil Foden’s equaliser last April during a successful title run-in that will hopefully be repeated this time around. You’ve forgotten that goal already? Fair enough, City do put away an awful lot and Foden clipping home Bernardo’s cutback right-footed was the sort Guardiola’s men score all the time.

The reason I’ll always be particularly fond of that goal is that I had no idea how it’d make me feel. The trip to Villa was City’s first outing since the European Super League debacle. Like many fans, I felt the club’s owners had horribly and callously miscalculated - briefly throwing their lot in with a spectacularly stupid land grab at the expense of 127 years of history.

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But of course, I jumped up and cheered (working from home during the pandemic, no press box etiquette required). Foden was the perfect man to offer a reminder that this club is just in your bones and will remain there, you don’t really get a choice, because it’s in his bones too. No matter what the