Southampton
Romeu 9^1RATINGS
Southampton (4-4-2): F Forster 7 —
K Walker-Peters 7, J Bednarek 5, M Salisu 6,
R Perraud — N Redmond 6, J Ward-Prowse 7,
O Romeu 7, N Tella 7 (M Elyounoussi 80) —
C Adams 7 (S Armstrong 64), S Long 6 (A Broja 64).
Booked Bednarek.
Crystal Palace (4-3-3): V Guaita 7 — N Clyne 8,
J Andersen 7, M Guéhi 7, J Ward 7 — C Gallagher 8,
J McArthur 7, J Schlupp 8 (M Olise 74) — J Ayew 8,
J-P Mateta 7 (W Zaha 64), E Eze 8 (W Hughes 84).
Booked Ward, McArthur, Mateta.
Referee J Gillett.Crystal Palace
Eze 60, Zaha 90+2^2positions up front — wingers both
sides, striker and attacking midfielder
in the pockets,” Guardiola said. “Now,
he has the energy of youth and
maybe winger suits him better a little
bit but when I started to see him in
the academy at 15-16, he played the
position of Kevin and he was really
good. All his actions are so, so quick.
“I always talk about David Silva —
sometimes he slowed the rhythm to
increase the rhythm, and Phil’s
rhythm is always high.”
As succession plans go, Foden for
De Bruyne, who at 30 still has several
years at the top level remaining, is
peerless. And the comparisons with
Silva, still, for many, the best player in
City’s modern era, are also relevant.
Foden’s incredible deliveries, from a
corner and free kick, created the first
two goals against Leeds United for
Rodri and Nathan Aké. Guardiola was
asked whether he might take on more
responsibility in that area, but
helpfully pointed out that such
responsibility will always fall to one of
the few players in the Premier League
presently better than Foden.
“When Kevin is there, Kevin is the
taker,” Guardiola said with a laugh.
“But it’s good for Phil. He is a guy
with an outswinger or inswinger with
a left foot. Let me tell you a secret;
the secret of set pieces is about the
taker. With a good taker, you have a
chance. You can make movements to
the near post or far post but it doesn’t
matter because the taker is the most
important thing.”
The white-hot atmosphere at
Elland Road gave Guardiola’s team a
taste of what they can expect when
they travel to the Bernabeu with a 4-3
lead from the first leg.
Leeds’s ambitions are more
grounded than City’s pursuit of a
league and European double, with
survival the only target, and one
which is becoming more difficult by
the week, given Burnley’s resurgence.
Jesse Marsch, the head coach,
found positives in the defeat, not least
in the incredible backing from the
home supporters, with whom he even
sang along in the closing moments.
“This was almost a write-off game,”
he said. “Manchester City is the best
team in the world, we would have
surprised everyone to get any points
out of it. The performance was more
important to me.”Iniesta? Foden
looks more like
next De Bruyne
Leeds United 0
RATINGS
Leeds United (5-4-1): I Meslier 6 — S Dallas 5
(D James 46min, 6), L Ayling 7, R Koch 6,
P Struijk 6, Junior Firpo 5 (J Gelhardt 62, 6) —
Raphinha 7, K Phillips 8, M Klich 7, J Harrison 7 —
Rodrigo 6 (S Greenwood 82).
Booked Junior Firpo.
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Ederson 7 —
J Cancelo 6, R Dias 7, A Laporte 7, N Aké 7
(O Zinchenko 59, 6) — Rodri 7 (Fernandinho 82),
I Gundogan 6 — J Grealish 5, P Foden 9
(B Silva 79), R Sterling 8 — G Jesus 7.
Booked Cancelo, Grealish.
Referee P Tierney.
Attendance 35,771.Manchester City
Rodri 13, Aké 54, Jesus 78, Fernandinho 90+3^4The physique, nationality and age are
all markedly different but as Pep
Guardiola placed Kevin De Bruyne in
cotton wool before Wednesday’s
Champions League semi-final, second
leg with Real Madrid, it was left to the
“Stockport Iniesta” to pull off a more
than passable impression of the
Belgian playmaker.
Phil Foden has long since carried
with him one of football’s more
amusing sobriquets, a tribute to
Guardiola’s legendary former
Barcelona player Andrés. But, in the
eyes of the City manager at least, it
was his own player De Bruyne, rather
than the Spanish great, that
Guardiola had in mind when he first
set eyes on Foden as a 16-year-old in
the club’s academy in 2016.
Six years on, in a game City had to
win but could have been forgiven for
at least drawing in the intense
atmosphere of Elland Road, Foden
played in a central midfield position,
rather than the wide or false nine
roles he has occupied for most of his
career. The result was a Foden hand
in City’s first three goals, two assists,
and a victory far more comfortable
than Guardiola, or anyone, had any
right to expect.
It was also the chance for
Guardiola to answer a question that is
intriguing, not only for City fans but
England’s as well, as to where the
21-year-old will eventually end up
playing his most effective football.
“I think he can play in all fiveIAN WHITTELLWilfried Zaha may not be quite ready
to pass on the baton at Crystal Palace,
as his brilliant stoppage-time winner
after coming off the bench against
Southampton at St Mary’s showed.
But further up the track he can see
Eberechi Eze, his heir apparent, arm
outstretched, ready to grasp whatever
responsibility comes his way in the
cause of leading this club forward.
Eze missed eight months with an
achilles injury between May and
January. He has taken time to recover
the sharpness that made him a Palace
mainstay after his £17 million movefrom Queens Park Rangers two
summers ago. On Saturday his first
goal since returning came, a half-
volley to bring his team level in the
second half. In a moment, a year’s
worth of frustration seemed visibly to
lift from the 23-year-old’s shoulders.
Palace’s scorers represent where the
club have come from and where they
are going. But they also represent the
present, and for a glorious period
supporters get to enjoy them together,
the overlapping of two chapters as the
club continue on the intriguing path
being set for them by Patrick Vieira.
With four games to go, this is
already Zaha’s top-scoring Premier
League season, and while the teamlacked a certain bite to their attack
before Zaha, 29, came off the bench,
Eze showed that he too can concoct
a goal out of seemingly little.
“It was a long journey for Eze,”
Vieira said. “He went through a
difficult period where there
was frustration not to
start, not to get involved.
But he’s really ready to
perform at this level.
He’ll tell you it took
longer than he wanted
it to, but what is
important is that he’scapable of playing game after game,
90 minutes with no reaction.”
As for Zaha, whenever he does
leave Selhurst Park, he will do so
having made an indelible impact on
the club he first joined aged 12.
“Wilfried is a bit like Matt
Le Tissier,” Vieira said.
“When you play at
Palace or Southampton
you may not get the
credit you would get if
you were at one of the
top teams. I hope these
players will get in the
Hall of Fame, because
what he’s done for Palace,
you can’t take that away.”Zaha and heir apparent Eze offer glimpse of bright future for Palace
Eze’s equaliser was his
first goal in almost a yearROBERT O’CONNORthe times | Monday May 2 2022 1GG 9
thegame
THE VETERAN ROLLS BACK
THE YEARS...
James Milner (age 36) v Newcastle
Touch mapCentre-forwardCentral midfieldLeft midfieldLeft-wingerRight-wingerAttacking midfield18Recoveries (season average: 2.7)Touches (34.2)Passes (25.6)Successful passes (21.6)Duels won (2.2)Passes into final third (3.7)Aerial duels won (0.5)The young, versatile starPhil Foden (age 21) appearances by
position this season7494 3 8 7 5 1 11857496Direction
of playTHE VETE
THE YEAR
James Milner
Touch mapCentre-forwaCentral midfiLeft midfieldLeft-wingerRight-wingerAttacking midRecoveries (sTouches (T c 34.2. 2PasP sesse(25.6 2 ))SucS cessfuc fl paaDueD ls wons nPPAerial duels wA a u wThe yoT yungn, vvPhil Foden (a
position this s51127
Combined goals and assists
Phil Foden has recorded in the
Premier League over the past
two seasons, more than any
other player aged 21 or underPHIL FODEN