Foden Man City win saw the England star score a hat-trick as City beat AEK Athens 5-1 to claim their second Champions League victory

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden scored a hat-trick at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, as Enzo Maresca’s side produced a commanding 5-1 victory over AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League.

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The emphatic Foden Man City win marked the England international’s first hat-trick since April 2024 and continued a promising return to form after a difficult spell. Manchester City also had goals from Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki, while Stavros Pilios scored AEK Athens’ only goal.

Foden had ended a lengthy goal drought by scoring against Ipswich at the weekend, and the 26-year-old followed that effort with three composed finishes against the Greek side.

The result gave Manchester City their second victory in the Champions League league phase from three matches. City had opened their European campaign with a win over Porto before suffering defeat against holders Paris Saint-Germain last week.

City made eight changes from the side that defeated Ipswich, but the reshuffled team quickly established control.

Anderson opened the scoring in the 12th minute with his first goal for Manchester City. Enzo Fernández’s free-kick struck the underside of the crossbar before Anderson reacted quickest to fire the rebound into the net.

Foden doubled the advantage in the 34th minute following excellent work from Rico Lewis. The two academy graduates combined effectively, with Foden finishing from a difficult angle to give City a 2-0 lead at half-time.

AEK briefly threatened to change the direction of the contest after the interval.

Pilios reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute, scoring the visitors’ first shot on target and giving the travelling supporters renewed hope.

That hope lasted only five minutes.

Rayan Cherki restored City’s two-goal cushion in the 57th minute with an excellent individual effort. The France international controlled Foden’s pass, produced a deft drag-back inside the area and finished clinically.

Foden then restored the hosts’ three-goal advantage in the 65th minute.

Rico Lewis was again involved, with Foden meeting the move with a superb first-time finish from the edge of the penalty area.

The England international completed his hat-trick in the 76th minute when substitute Ryan McAidoo delivered a precise cross into his path.

Foden made no mistake, applying a simple finish to complete his fourth career hat-trick for Manchester City.

The performance was particularly significant given the midfielder’s recent struggles.

Foden had gone around 10 months without a goal before scoring against Ipswich and had endured a difficult period in which his place in the Manchester City side had become less secure. He has also previously spoken publicly about mental health difficulties.

The back-to-back scoring performances suggest that confidence may finally be returning.

Foden, however, has played down suggestions that he has completely rediscovered his best form.

After the match, he said he was “going in the right direction” but acknowledged that he remained some distance from his peak.

Maresca will also take encouragement from the contribution of players outside his regular starting group.

Seventeen-year-old Floyd Samba started in attack with Erling Haaland left on the bench. The decision reflected Manchester City’s squad depth and the demands of a crowded schedule.

Haaland was not required as City produced five goals without their leading striker on the pitch.

The victory was also a strong response to last week’s 2-0 Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain, keeping City on course for a place in the competition’s knockout phase.

Manchester City’s official match report said the victory gave the club six points from their opening three European matches and left them sixth in the league table before the completion of the remaining fixtures.

There was, however, an unusual backdrop to the impressive result.

Only 40,042 spectators attended the match, leaving large areas of the expanded 61,000-capacity Etihad Stadium visibly empty. The attendance was the lowest for a Manchester City home match this season outside the League Cup.

The subdued atmosphere contrasted sharply with the performance on the pitch, although Maresca praised those who attended and expressed confidence that the atmosphere would improve for upcoming home fixtures.

The attendance issue comes amid a difficult period for Manchester City away from the pitch.

The club has been found guilty of widespread financial wrongdoing and is appealing the ruling, with potential sanctions including a points deduction and other penalties.

City have denied wrongdoing and remain involved in the appeal process.

For Maresca, however, the immediate priority is football.

Manchester City have now recorded 10 victories in 12 matches across all competitions this season, according to Sky Sports, and Foden’s resurgence gives the manager another potentially decisive attacking option.

The next Champions League assignment will take City to Germany to face RB Leipzig on November 4.

Before then, attention turns back to the Premier League, with Manchester City scheduled to visit Aston Villa on Saturday.

Also read: Liverpool Beat Villarreal 4-3 in Champions League Thriller

For Foden, the challenge is now to turn one brilliant night and two productive matches into a sustained return to the level that once made him one of England’s most exciting young players.