Phil Foden branded 'an absolute delight' as Man City hat-trick hero passes Kevin De Bruyne test

Micah Richards has heaped praise on Phil Foden after his hat-trick display for Manchester City.

City earned a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa to keep pace with their rivals in the Premier League title race. After Unai Emery’s side drew level in the first half, Foden’s goals proved to be the difference for the Treble winners in a sparkling performance at the Etihad Stadium.

Analysing Foden’s influence on the game, former City defender Micah Richards described the midfielder as having an 'abundance of talent'. The 23-year-old was handed the opportunity to thrive in a number 10 role against Villa, having been used on both wings throughout the season.

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Speaking on Match of the Day, the former City man said: “He’s an absolute delight, isn’t he? The thing is with Phil Foden, we’ve talked about him playing on the left and talked about him playing on the right and he can do it, but when he’s in that number ten role he really is something different.

“The interesting thing about him, and he’s talked about it in various interviews, is sometimes when he got in those positions he was rushing it a little bit,” he added. “The fact of having someone like Kevin De Bruyne in the squad as well, I wouldn’t say it hinders him but it puts him under a lot more pressure when he performs in this number ten role.

“You see him driving into the box, finding the space, and from the Arsenal game when he was out on the left, this was a big game for him today. Could he provide something? Could he thread those balls through? Could he