Pep Guardiola has outlined where Phil Foden can still improve at Manchester City amid a career-best campaign for the club.
Foden scored twice as City thrashed Brighton 4-0 on Thursday night to take his total to 24 goals for the season in all competitions.
The 23-year-old’s brace at Brighton also saw the midfielder pass 50 career goals in the Premier League, having established himself as one of the division’s best young talents since emerging from the club’s academy ranks.
Foden is the current favourite to win the PFA Player of the Year award and teammate Kevin De Bruyne this week said the England international has gone to another level this season.
However, Guardiola believes there is still more to come from Foden, who he insists will get better the more he understands the game with greater experience.
“Phil has a sixth gear but he cannot play all the time in sixth gear – he has to play in second and third. I think, with time, he will learn that,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference ahead of facing Nottingham Forest.
“Everything is so quick; football has to be sometimes slower (in order) to become quicker after to surprise the opponent. He will understand the game through years and years of experiences. But he loves to play and his work ethic is unbelievable.
“We are really pleased and happy for him and hopefully in the last month ahead of us he doesn’t stop. I would love for him to go in sixth gear every single action but after you are less precise – that is not effective.
“He has to know when he has to be aggressive and when he has to be more calm. He has improved a lot from the beginning of the season and the previous seasons.”
