Over the past two months, Phil Foden has featured more often at Wembley than at the Etihad Stadium. Unfortunately, each of those outings has ended in familiar disappointment, with the Manchester City and England midfielder being substituted following another underwhelming personal performance.

If his last two appearances at Wembley with the national team in March were a warning sign for his World Cup hopes, his lacklustre display against Southampton in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final has cast serious doubt on his long-term future at Manchester City — the club he has represented since childhood and where he became one of their most celebrated players by the age of 25.

Just two years ago, the idea of Foden leaving City would have been unimaginable. He had been instrumental in their fourth consecutive Premier League title win, scoring 19 goals and providing eight assists, earning every major domestic Player of the Season award. Even four months ago, when he netted five goals in three matches and Pep Guardiola declared that he was “back” after a difficult previous season, few would have predicted this decline.

Yet the boy who joined City at the age of eight, and whom Guardiola once called “the most talented player I have ever coached,” is now going through another serious slump at a crucial point in his career for both club and country. A defining decision may soon be required.

Enduring Goal Drought

City fans offered Foden warm applause when he was substituted by Guardiola for Savinho in the 58th minute at Wembley, but the gesture seemed to reflect sympathy rather than appreciation. Foden had been largely ineffective against Championship opposition, while Savinho immediately injected more threat into City’s attack.

Sadly, this performance was consistent with Foden’s struggles throughout 2026. He has gone 24 matches without scoring for City, providing just one assist in that stretch. The Southampton clash marked his first start in seven weeks, and the fact that he was included while the likes of Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, Antoine Semenyo, Bernardo Silva, and Marc Guehi were on the bench was another indication of his diminished role — he is increasingly being used only when Guardiola opts to rest his key players.

Foden was left unused against Liverpool in February and played just five minutes in the recent title showdown with Arsenal. In the Carabao Cup final against the Gunners, he was only introduced in stoppage time.

Fighting a Losing Battle

The last time Foden started against a fellow ‘Big Six’ team was in January’s Manchester derby, when he was withdrawn at half-time for Rayan Cherki. The Frenchman has since overtaken Foden as City’s main attacking midfielder. Guardiola paired them together at Wembley, but the combination failed to click — Foden repeatedly crowded Cherki’s space and struggled to influence the game, while the £34 million signing dictated the tempo, albeit without major success.

Cherki was initially viewed as Kevin De Bruyne’s successor when he arrived from Lyon, yet he appears to have taken Foden’s place as well. When Guardiola was asked earlier this month about Foden’s exclusion from the starting lineup, he directly compared the two and emphasised that no player — not even a homegrown favourite — could expect guaranteed minutes in such a competitive squad.

“Cherki has been amazing. Phil plays more or less in that same position and has to compete with Rayan,” Guardiola explained. “There are players like Wayne Rooney who have been incredible for 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 years over a full season. For others, dips in form happen. They shouldn’t worry, but they must take it as a challenge.

“In all our title wins, Phil has played a vital role. But sometimes you must think, ‘I have to challenge my teammates who came from abroad and are eager to prove themselves in the Premier League and make their name.’”

‘Worst Season’ Revisited

In the same press conference, Guardiola downplayed concerns about Foden’s situation, describing it as a minor dip when compared to his 2024-25 slump. “I think Phil’s worst season was the last one, but up to November this season, he was really good,” he said. “Ultimately, players must compete with their teammates. When new players arrive, there are moments when they perform better, and you have to respond.”

Ironically, Foden appears set to finish this season with nearly identical statistics to that difficult campaign — 10 goals in all competitions, though with two additional assists this time. However, he has failed to rise to the internal competition brought by players like Cherki.

When asked about Foden after Saturday’s semi-final, Guardiola reiterated his confidence in the midfielder. “It’s just a matter of time before he’s back,” he said. When pressed on whether he still believed in Foden, Guardiola replied firmly: “Absolutely.”

Echoes of Jack Grealish

Fans and journalists are beginning to feel a sense of déjà vu with Guardiola’s comments on Foden. Back in February, the manager had said, “I have zero, zero, zero doubts about Phil. He just needs to recover himself, focus on football, go fishing, and he’ll be back.”

Those words strongly resemble what Guardiola once said about Jack Grealish — another talented Englishman who once seemed vital for both club and country but has since faded into relative obscurity.

After Grealish was left unused in the 2024 FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United, Guardiola had said, “He’ll be back. He’s struggled this season, and Jeremy [Doku] has stepped up brilliantly, as everyone has seen. But Jack will return to last season’s level, I’m sure.”

By January 2025, Guardiola had been forced to admit he was mistaken. “Do I want the Jack that helped us win the treble? Yes, of course. But I have to be honest with myself,” he confessed.

World Cup Hopes in Jeopardy

Seven months later, Grealish was loaned out to Everton. He began brightly with the Toffees before a serious foot injury curtailed his season. Recently, photos surfaced of him asleep on a rooftop bar in Manchester, surrounded by bottles — a symbol of a career that had lost its direction.

There is no suggestion that Foden shares Grealish’s off-field habits, but his career path is showing worrying similarities at just 25 years old. His dip in form comes at a particularly bad time, with the World Cup approaching and England manager Thomas Tuchel admitting that Foden’s inclusion in the squad is uncertain.

Guardiola urged him to seize upcoming opportunities, saying after Foden’s poor performances for England against Uruguay and Japan, “These chances don’t come often. When you get one, play as well as possible to earn selection — it only happens once every four years. You must take it.”

What Lies Ahead?

Foden’s contract with Manchester City runs until 2027, and just a few months ago, a renewal seemed inevitable. However, recent developments may have altered that outlook. While City reportedly still want to extend his deal, the club may hesitate to commit heavily to a player currently out of favour, and Foden himself might reconsider signing an agreement that could limit his future options.

For years, Foden appeared destined to be a one-club man, embodying City’s identity. Yet now, a departure not only feels increasingly possible but perhaps necessary — the only path left for him to truly revive his career and fulfil his immense potential.