Phil Foden sees Haaland as an 'Alien'

Phil Foden has consistently praised his close friend and fellow Manchester City player Erling Haaland following his two goals against Everton in the 8th matchweek of the 2025/26 Premier League.

Commenting on Haaland, Foden emphasized: "We know he has the perfect timing when it comes to movement and is always in the right spot to receive the ball. He’s a sharp and agile player. No matter how tightly opponents mark Haaland, he always finds a way to shine. Haaland never loses focus, and you have to understand that just one chance is enough for him to score.

Erling Haaland is a very patient striker, and as you can see, he is always there at the right moment for us. That’s the hallmark of a world-class forward. Not many strikers these days can compare to Haaland. He’s like an alien."

Although they defeated Everton 2-0 at home, Phil Foden admitted that Manchester City faced quite a few challenges in securing the three points. The English star continued:“This match was quite tough. I think in the first half, we weren’t really in rhythm. There were many moments lacking decisiveness and fluidity. We didn’t play fast forward football as we should have.

We held the ball too long and couldn’t find gaps between the lines. Then Coach Pep shared some advice during halftime. In the second half, we played more effectively in attack to break through the opponent’s defense and created many chances. Overall, we can be satisfied with this performance.”.

Talking about his coordination with Haaland, Phil Foden said he needs to improve his passing: “I think we are improving our connection with Erling Haaland. I believe today I made several good passes behind him, but he didn’t capitalize on them.”

As for Pep Guardiola, he gave special praise to Foden, highlighting his maturity in controlling the game’s tempo, knowing when to speed up and when to slow down:

“Foden is a complete player. I have said many times, it’s only a matter of time. You can’t always play at maximum intensity. Foden has realized that you don’t always have to explode or perform high-speed plays. Sometimes you have to walk, make a simple pass, and touch the ball smoothly.”

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