Phil Foden gets Maresca's backing after goal-scoring return for Man City

Foden went 10 months without scoring before finding the net in City's 3-2 win over Ipswich Town last weekend. The 26-year-old followed that up with a Champions League hat-trick in Tuesday's 5-1 victory over AEK Athens.

The England international enjoyed a remarkable 2023/24 campaign, scoring 27 goals and sweeping the Premier League's major individual awards. However, he has struggled to maintain those standards over the past two seasons.

Maresca, who took charge at City in June, believes Foden has the ability to return to his best and has already held several conversations with the midfielder to underline his importance to the team.

"Since we started, I sat down with Phil two or three times, especially at the beginning. Just to show him, I don't know if love is the right word to use, but just to show him how important he is," Maresca said.

The Italian, who has known Foden for several years, acknowledged that the midfielder had experienced difficult periods but insisted that helping him regain his confidence was part of his responsibility as manager.

"I said many times that I know Phil from years ago, so I know how, for different reasons, the last few years it was not good enough," he added.

"When you have more players like Phil available, you are a better team because, again, it's a matter of improving players. If you improve the players, you improve the team.

"So for me, I think it's my duty to try to help Phil to be again one of the best players in England."

Maresca has made an impressive start to life at the Etihad Stadium, winning his first seven Premier League matches in charge of City. Their only defeat in that run of fixtures across competitions came against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, where they lost 4-2.

However, City's strong performances have unfolded against the backdrop of the club's ongoing financial-rule case. City are appealing a guilty verdict involving more than 100 alleged breaches, with the prospect of severe sporting sanctions hanging over the club.

Maresca insisted that the uncertainty had not disrupted the team's focus, pointing to the significant changes made to the squad and coaching staff during the summer.

"In any club, when you lose important players, many important players, and you lose the manager after 10 years, it always takes time to compete again," he said.

"But this organisation last summer changed many important players, changed the manager after 10 years and we are competing at the moment."

City travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, with Erling Haaland expected to return after missing the AEK Athens match with a foot injury sustained against Ipswich.