Phil Foden issues emphatic response to Pep Guardiola challenge for Man City stars

Pep Guardiola said after Manchester City's win over Burnley at the weekend that his players needed to be ready to make a difference however many minutes they were on the pitch. Against Atletico, Phil Foden took 80 seconds.

Foden could rightly feel aggrieved not to be starting such a big game, having started more consecutive games than any other player in the squad this season and contributing in the selfless No.9 role. The 21-year-old is so versatile that it is hard to imagine he could not thrive in any game plan.

If the City boss wanted a reaction from Foden, boy did he get one. Coming on in the 69th minute, Foden's close control instantly drew in four Atletico players near to the box who could do nothing as he slipped it through them onto Kevin De Bruyne to make the breakthrough.

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Special players turn up on the big nights, and here were two of City's combining to provide them with the advantage they wanted ahead of the second leg next week. It is hard to imagine that Foden will start Sunday's game with Liverpool on the pitch from the bench after again showing what an important player he is in the big moments.

Guardiola joked ahead of this game about overthinking, all too aware of the reputation he has earned in big Champions League games. And when the City team was announced on Tuesday evening, there was all manner of head-scratching over who was playing where.

Behind the smoke and mirrors, though, lay a formula which took City to their first-ever final in the competition. Short of a proper striker, this was a continuation of their strategy in the knockout rounds last year with at least one false nine as the