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Foden and De Bruyne

Why Foden and De Bruyne’s Form Means Now is the Time to Bet on City’s Attack

Manchester City have enjoyed a good run of results, which has seen them climb into the top four of the Premier League.

MarketOdds

Manchester City vs Chelsea - Phil Foden To Score

2.62

Manchester City vs Chelsea - Erling Haaland To Score

1.75

 

Odds courtesy of Betway. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.

Foden’s Found His Scoring Boots

Phil Foden was a key player for Manchester City in the Premier League last season, scoring 19 goals and assisting a further eight. The England international had a slow start to the current campaign, but those woes have eased in recent weeks.

Foden has rediscovered his scoring form since the start of the festive period. After failing to score from the 24 shots he took in his first 11 Premier League appearances, Phil has managed to score five goals in his last six games from a total of just 17 attempts. This added cutting edge has been a huge boost for Pep Guardiola. The midfielder also ranks as one of Europe’s most creative players over the past year.

Foden’s xAG (expected assisted goals) of 0.26 per 90 minutes means he ranks in the 97th percentile when compared with midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues. Phil also ranks in the top 1% for touches in the opposition box.

We are backing Foden to make an impact when Manchester City host Chelsea this weekend. The midfielder started on the bench when Pep’s team beat the Blues on the opening weekend of the season. However, he should get the nod here after scoring five and assisting one goal in his last six league appearances. Foden can prove difficult to stop when he is on a hot streak, just as he was at the tail end of the 2023/24 campaign.

City Set to Benefit From De Bruyne’s Return to Form

Kevin De Bruyne is back to his best after struggling with a hamstring injury in the earlier part of the season. The Belgian has provided three assists in his last two Premier League matches, bringing his total for the season to six. Kevin also enjoys linking up with Erling Haaland, who is poised to benefit from the midfielder’s return to form.

Haaland has faced criticism this season due to barren spells that have coincided with City’s poor runs of form. Nevertheless, he remains just one goal behind Mohamed Salah in the race for the Premier League’s Golden Boot. He has scored four goals in his last four league outings, taking his tally to 17. The Norwegian has also netted three goals in his last three league games against Chelsea, so he should make an impact in this match-up.

De Bruyne is also capable of creating chances for other players. The Belgian assisted goals for both Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku in the 6-0 win over Ipswich. He also set up a Foden goal in the draw with Brentford and in the recent win over West Ham. Kevin hopes that link up with Foden continues as City aim to beat Chelsea for the second time this season.