Phil Foden hails 'fresh lads' as rotated Man City cruise against Crystal Palace

Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki were among the regulars left out of the starting XI, with the nod given to Phil Foden, Omar Marmoush and Josko Gvardiol, the latter of whom missed the previous 27 games with a broken leg.

It was a gamble on Guardiola's part, with Arsenal continuing to lead the league title race and City needing to keep pace, but it paid off as the Sky Blues ran out comfortable 3-0 winners.

For Foden, who registered a pair of assists in the victory, rotating the squad for the midweek encounter was a well-calculated risk given the huge importance of Saturday's cup final and the sheer number of matches City have played.

"Massively important at this stage of the season to have fresh lads coming in, Josko as well, back in a long time," Foden told Sky Sports. "We were all excited to play and we were ready. It's a massive game, must win, so we are really happy."

Foden's impact was felt when he delivered a no-look backheel to Antoine Semenyo in the 32nd minute for the first goal. He followed it up with an assist on Marmoush's goal eight minutes later, marking his first two-assist match since late 2023.

"I checked a few times before receiving the ball and I saw Ant [Semenyo] make a good movement [for the first goal]," Foden said. "It is one of those, sometimes it doesn't come off, sometimes a risk is worth taking, and I'm very delighted it came off and we scored from it.

"Buzzing to contribute to a goal and help the lads get three points, which is the most important."

The result moves City to within two points of Arsenal with two matches remaining for both clubs. While the Gunners still have the upper hand in the title race, Foden stressed that nothing has been decided yet.

"The aim is to keep pushing and keep them on their toes," he said. "We've seen a lot of things can happen on the final day. I've experienced it many times when the game doesn't go your way.

"We just have to keep pushing and doing our part."

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