OXFORD UNITED 0, MANCHESTER CITY 3
Phil Foden was Manchester City’s man of the match as they eventually ran out 3-0 winners over League One strugglers Oxford United in the Third Round of the Carabao Cup.
The boyhood City fan dubbed the “Stockport Iniesta” had a hand in City’s first two goals before scoring his first senior goal for the Blues in injury time to run off a convincing victory.
A lengthy knee slide summed up the emotions on a night which had a much-changed City side patiently waiting to break down Karl Robinson’s battlers with 20 shots on goal to their one.
Although Robinson may have waxed lyrical about the youngster after the game, City boss Pep Guardiola was keen to play down any comparisons with the legendary Andres Iniesta – especially given the relative quality of the opposition – but he did declare that Foden had a decade of City games ahead of him.
Foden was named in an experimental City side that only retained Nicolas Otamendi from the side that thrashed Cardiff 5-0 at the weekend.
Aro Muric was in goal, Danilo made his first start of the season at right back, while Oleksandr Zinchenko played at left back, John Stones was handed an experimental role in Fernandinho’s deep-lying midfield berth, and Brahim Diaz was handed an attacking role.
It took City 36 minutes to break down Oxford’s stubborn defence, and Foden’s diagonal ball up to Diaz caught the eye and, while the Spaniard’s shot was deflected, Gabriel Jesus was there to break the deadlock with a header from three yards out.
It took until the 78th minute for Foden to release Riyad Mahrez with a superb through ball – the Algerian’s goal removed any hope of an equaliser and penalties from the home side.
And Foden capped off a superb performance with a left foot drive from 10 yards out in injury time after being set up by Raheem Sterling before setting off on his deserved celebration in front of the travelling fans.