Phil Foden Aston Villa
The 23-year-old’s hat-trick, which included his first-ever direct free-kick, marked a personal milestone as he reached 20 goals in a single campaign for the first time in his career.
City initially took the lead in the first half through Rodri, only for Jhon Duran to equalize nine minutes later for Villa.
However, Foden’s ensured City regained control, with his sublime finishes leaving the Etihad crowd in awe and earning him a well-deserved standing ovation.
UCL: Gyokeres told he was ‘barely visible’ during Sporting vs Arsenal clash Viktor Gyokeres endured a frustrating return to Lisbon as Arsenal squeezed out a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the striker coming under heavy criticism from the Portuguese media. The Swedish forward, who previously starred for Sporting, was largely ineffective throughout the encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Despite a strong reception from home supporters, his performance failed to match expectations. Local outlet A Bola summed up his performance bluntly, stating: “The striker celebrates with a mask, [but] seemed masked: he was barely visible.” Other publications echoed similar sentiments, with O Jogo noting that Sporting “stifled” their former talisman, while Público described him as “largely absent from the game.” Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time in Portugal, managed just 17 touches and struggled to impose himself against a defence that appeared well-drilled in neutralising his strengths. Numbers speak to a difficult outing Statistically, his performance showed lack of impact. His only notable involvement came in the build-up to a disallowed goal for Martin Zubimendi, where he was flagged offside. A late effort on goal, comfortably handled by Rui Silva, summed up an underwhelming night for the forward, who was unable to replicate his usual clinical edge that led Arsenal to invest heavily in his signing. Substitutes changed the game With Gyokeres struggling to influence play, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration. The introduction of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz proved decisive. Havertz eventually delivered the breakthrough with a stoppage-time winner, sealing a narrow advantage for the Premier League side ahead of the second leg in London.
Apr 8, 2026
Phil Foden bags hat-trick against Villa – Credit: Premier League on X Guardiola’s side bounced back after criticism in their recent draws against Liverpool and Arsenal
With eight games remaining, City remain in contention for the title, as they are level on points with Liverpool who sit second.
![UCL: Gyokeres told he was 'barely visible' during Sporting vs Arsenal clash Viktor Gyokeres endured a frustrating return to Lisbon as Arsenal squeezed out a 1-0 win over Sporting CP in their Champions League quarter-final first leg, with the striker coming under heavy criticism from the Portuguese media. The Swedish forward, who previously starred for Sporting, was largely ineffective throughout the encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. Despite a strong reception from home supporters, his performance failed to match expectations. Local outlet A Bola summed up his performance bluntly, stating: “The striker celebrates with a mask, [but] seemed masked: he was barely visible.” Other publications echoed similar sentiments, with O Jogo noting that Sporting “stifled” their former talisman, while Público described him as “largely absent from the game.” Gyokeres, who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances during his time in Portugal, managed just 17 touches and struggled to impose himself against a defence that appeared well-drilled in neutralising his strengths. Numbers speak to a difficult outing Statistically, his performance showed lack of impact. His only notable involvement came in the build-up to a disallowed goal for Martin Zubimendi, where he was flagged offside. A late effort on goal, comfortably handled by Rui Silva, summed up an underwhelming night for the forward, who was unable to replicate his usual clinical edge that led Arsenal to invest heavily in his signing. Substitutes changed the game With Gyokeres struggling to influence play, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta turned to his bench for inspiration. The introduction of Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz proved decisive. Havertz eventually delivered the breakthrough with a stoppage-time winner, sealing a narrow advantage for the Premier League side ahead of the second leg in London.](https://www.gistreel.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/InShot_20260408_124324008-220x124.jpg)
