Phil Foden makes ‘fantastic’ Newcastle United claim after narrow Manchester City win

Manchester City attacking midfielder Phil Foden expressed his delight at his side’s win over ‘fantastic’ Newcastle United.

Last season’s Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup champions earned a narrow win over Eddie Howe’s Magpies with Julian Alvarez’s 31st-minute strike separating the two sides.

Foden claimed the assist for Alvarez’s goal and was voted Player of the Match. Speaking to BBC Sport after the game, the England international spoke highly of Newcastle.

“We knew the opponent we were facing, how good they are,” said Foden. “They’re a fantastic team. They’re very physical and seem to win every second ball. The performance was so high.

“It was the first game at home. We wanted to start in the right direction. The performance was top. I enjoyed being home. The fans were brilliant from minute one and it lifted us over the line.

“I feel I created quite a few chances for Erland. He was unfortunate not to score. I played more inside. You create more centrally. I’m happy with my performance. I want to keep going in this direction with the high standards I set myself.”

The result saw City maintain their 100 per-cent start to the Premier League season, less than 72 hours after lifting the UEFA Super Cup in Athens after a 5-4 shootout win over Sevilla.

Pep Guardiola added: “There are no words to express my gratitude for the performance we gave. It was really, really good. It is the second game but after what we done in the last season, we are still there.

“We spoke about mentality. The reason we won was about our mentality and we proved it again. To come here against that team everyone saw against Aston Villa it as magnificent.

“The way we played it was more than deserved. Everyone was a top performer. Now a long week to rest a little bit and prepare for the future. Everyone is fantastic, what can I say? It means a lot to all of us.”