Phil Foden is giving Man City an extra weapon in Premier League title race

Could 2024 turn out to be the best year of Phil Foden's career thus far?

After scoring a hat-trick in Manchester City's 3-1 win over Brentford at the start of February, he netted the winner in the Blues' final Premier League outing of the month at Bournemouth on Saturday evening. Quickest to react to Erling Haaland's parried effort, the Stockport-born attacker was on hand to turn the ball home and seal another three-point haul.

After firing blanks in City's hat-trick of Premier League home games against Everton, Chelsea and Brentford, he was visibly delighted to be back on the scoresheet and establishing himself as the match-winner. He has now scored seven goals since the turn of the year in all competitions.

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Add that to the nine he plundered in the first half of the campaign and he is now up to 16 goals for the season in all competitions - equalling his career-best tally in a single season in the process. The England international also found the net 16 times in the 2020/21 campaign.

Just like that season, too, Foden has also grabbed 10 assists this term, meaning he has directly contributed to 26 goals for City in all competitions. He is now only two contributions behind Haaland.

In a Premier League title race that looks as though it could go right down to the wire, Foden's contributions could prove to be the difference between City retaining their crown or reluctantly handing it over to one of two teams in red. His goals in each of the Blues' last two away games have directly contributed to six points being amassed.

Though City have not