Phil Foden reveals what he is doing differently for Man City after reaching best goalscoring season with scintillating hat-trick against Aston Villa

In a scintillating display of skill and determination, the 23-year-old England international netted three time to catapult City to a commanding 4-1 victory at the Etihad Stadium against Unai Emery's troops. Reflecting on his remarkable achievement, Foden attributed his success to a dedicated focus on improving his positioning and exploiting scoring opportunities.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Foden said: "Yeah, definitely. I always now try and arrive in the box and I think that’s why the goals are happening: you get at least five a season by arriving in the box late. So I’ve been working on all aspects on my game. I’ve still a lot to improve on and I’m still growing in that position.”

In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Foden's versatility and adaptability have been instrumental to City's success this season. Operating predominantly in a central role in the absence of Kevin de Bruyne, Foden has flourished while contributing significantly to the team's attacking prowess. His ability to orchestrate play and dictate the tempo of the game has elevated him to one of the cornerstones of the Guardiola project at Etihad.

“I seem to have some really technical players in the pockets and I think out wide I can do that job but I prefer in the middle,” he said. “I think this year I’m growing into the game. The manager spoke on rhythm and slowing the game down and I think I’m showing that as well. He said before, ‘you’ll grow into that position’ because before I was just going so quick, attacking every action, and I think now I’m getting the balance just right.”

Foden opened his account on the night with a free-kick that went through Villa's wall, which was the first set-piece goal of his career. However, the midfielder revealed that he hardly practises them in training and that he actually robbed Julian Alvarez of his attempt.

“I don’t actually practise them. I don’t even know why I took that one,” he said. “Julian (Alvarez) was on them. I just felt confident at the time and said ‘Julian do you mind me having this one’ and it paid off in the end.”

With City currently occupying the third spot in the Premier League standings but just a point off leaders Arsenal, the team's aspirations for league glory remain well within reach. They prepare to face Crystal Palace in their next fixture on Saturday, with Foden's stellar form and unwavering determination serving as a beacon of hope for City's quest for silverware this season.