Rio Ferdinand backs Man City’s Pep Guardiola to change mind on Phil Foden vs Liverpool

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been backed to change his mind if he was not going to start Phil Foden in Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Liverpool. The league leaders host their title rivals in a fixture that could ultimate decide who tops the division come the end of the season. 

And former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes England star Foden has given Guardiola food for thought by coming off the bench to help City beat Atletico Madrid 1-0. Foden’s clever pass set up Kevin de Bruyne to score the only goal of the Champions League first-leg tie.  

Foden has started each of City’s last eight Premier League fixtures but directly contributed to just two goals during that period. That he had dropped to the bench for the Champions League visit of Atletico suggested that he had been pushed down the pecking order for the club’s biggest games. 

But Ferdinand thinks the 21-year-old could now start against Liverpool after impressing against the La Liga side. He told BT Sport: “Pep probably knows already, he’s three games ahead, but there comes a moment where a player does something in the game and it makes you go, ‘ooh, I might have to change it’ and if he wasn’t going to play Phil Foden at the weekend, he may change that given the performance.”

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City will take a 1-0 lead to Madrid in a fortnight’s time thanks to De Bruyne’s strike on 70 minutes. Guardiola is desperate to go one better than last season’s defeat in the final – a 1-0 reverse against Premier League rivals Chelsea.  

Ferdinand believes the Spaniard’s side were a level about Atletico, who knocked out Man Utd in the previous round. He added: “They were tested but in a different way, they asked questions, ‘can you break us down? Can you play through?’ Put two lots of five in front, break through it, there was frustration but they never [faltered]. 

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“When you’ve got someone like Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, artists that come on the pitch and pose different questions it’s difficult to adjust. Phil Foden came on, mesmeric at times. Kevin de Bruyne’s come up with some big moments in recent weeks scored some big goals, he’s turning screws in this team, he’s the lynchpin.” 

City will now hope to beat Liverpool on Sunday to put one hand on the Premier League trophy. They enjoy a one-point lead over Jurgen Klopp’s side and a win would give them a healthy advantage in the final weeks of the campaign. 
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