Manchester City forward Phil Foden has admitted that the champions’ hopes of a successful Premier League title defense are effectively over following their late collapse against Brentford on Tuesday.
As we’ve witnessed on a number of occasions this season, City squandered a 2-0 lead at the Gtech Community Stadium, with late goals from Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard securing a dramatic draw for the hosts.
Manchester City have dropped 14 points from winning positions in the league this season, their highest total under Pep Guardiola, surpassing the previous record of 13. The draw also ended a streak of 22 consecutive wins in games where they led by two or more goals.
With City currently sitting sixth on the Premier League table and 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, Foden believes the gap is too large to close.
“The title? Yeah, yeah, it’s done for sure, it’s done,” Foden responded when asked about his team’s standing by Eurosport. “We’re not stupid. So we’ve got to aim for the top four. That’s the next target now and then, obviously the Champions League as well. So it’s not as if the season has gone.
“We’ve got to be realistic, haven’t we? The performances have not been good enough to get up there. The top four is our aim now and then, to see where we can be in the other trophies. We can’t dwell on it. We’ve got to try and aim for the top four now and make things right.”
Despite going unbeaten in their first three games of the new year, City’s performances haven’t been strong enough to reignite their title hopes. Foden, who notched a brace in the Cityzen’s last league outing, revealed that it felt strange being out of the title race this early.
“I’ve not been in this situation before where I’ve lost this many games and been in this situation,” he said. “So it’s a learning curve, and it’s just about how you get back to your best, not just me, but the team as well. And how we come back from this.
“I believe, I still believe in the team, you know, I still believe we can do good things. It’s about getting back on the training pitch and having that belief, to keep going, don’t give up.
“We’ve been the best in the last few seasons and when we face an opponent we can just see how much they’re up for it. And we have to try and match that, if not better it, and we’re coming up a little bit short at the moment.”
Olaoluwa is a dedicated sports writer and passionate football enthusiast with two years of experience. Known for his keen analysis and commitment to the game, his work reflects a deep love for football, blending strategic insight with the emotional moments that make it a global passion. He is focused on honing his skills and consistently aims to inspire and engage readers through every article he writes.
