“New start, new me” – Phil Foden issues word of warning to Premier League rivals ahead of fresh season | OneFootball

Manchester City could welcome the very best of Phil Foden come the start of the new season, with the England international admitting he has his ‘hunger back inside’.

The 25-year-old returned immediately to action in Manchester City’s very first game of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup as Pep Guardiola’s side recorded a 2-0 victory over Moroccan outfit Wydad AC on matchday one.

A goal from Foden inside the opening two minutes set the squad on their way to victory before he turned provider before the half-time interval, executing a corner to perfection to find Jeremy Doku on the volley at the back-post.

It was the perfect start for Phil Foden on a personal note as he comes into the 2025/26 campaign off the back of a hugely difficult previous season in which he largely struggled to pick up any consistency or form throughout.

Speaking to reporters after his match-winning performance against Wydad AC at the Club World Cup, Foden issued words that will no doubt get Manchester City fans excited over what the future holds for the midfielder.

“The hunger inside me is back and I want to prove people wrong,” Foden revealed. “It was a difficult [last] season. It was not the best. I got a little time off, rested.”

The 25-year-old continued, “New start, new me. I’m just looking forward to the season. I’m happy to get back in with the goals, creating chances.”

After a relatively strong start to the competition from Manchester City, Phil Foden still believes the favourites for the crown lie away from Pep Guardiola’s camp, as he admitted, “PSG [are the favourites], just the way they play at the moment.”

He continued, “They seem to be the benchmark, from what I’ve seen up to now.”

Manchester City still have two games remaining in the group stage format of the tournament as they take on Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates and Juventus of Italy, before attentions could perhaps look towards the knock-out stages of the format.

Pep Guardiola and his side know that should they manage to secure top spot in the group, then they would face second place in Group H – a selection of teams that includes Real Madrid, Al Hilal, CF Pachuca, and FC Salzburg.

A second place finish would however mean taking on the winner of the group, which after matchday one would present a clash against the Austrian side, with Real Madrid sitting in second place after one game played.