Phil Foden shows Jack Grealish what Pep Guardiola wants at Man City

This season does not appear to have been vintage for Phil Foden. It started with the England international sidelined with a foot injury picked up on the eve of the Euro 2020 final, and has also seen him dropped from the team after too big a night out with Jack Grealish.

Nine first-team players have been used more often by Pep Guardiola in all competitions while Riyad Mahrez has more than double the number of goals despite playing as a winger. On the eye test, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva and Rodri all appear to have been more influential to the team's success.

And yet, for all that, nobody else in the squad has kept their place in the starting XI for as many games in a row as the run Foden is currently enjoying; the 21-year-old played his 11th straight match when he was named in the team against Sporting, so no wonder he was given the second half off.

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Again, three goals and two assists from those 11 games do not scream the statistics of somebody whose place is untouchable - particularly in a squad with such talent. The fact that he has stayed in the team is clearly down to other factors then.

Part of it can be put down to recent injuries to Jack Grealish and Gabriel Jesus that have reduced the selection options available to the manager, yet it is still striking that Foden's streak for starting games has surpassed the likes of Bernardo, Cancelo, and Ederson (Kevin De Bruyne is actually in second place with 10 between December and January).

Foden's versatility has also helped, with his ability to press seeing him the preferred option at the minute in the No.9 role but other qualities allowing him to drop into midfield for the Peterborough