Although the overall state has improved, Foden: We still have a long way to go to reach our goal

In the 21st round of the 2024/25 Premier League, Manchester City took the lead after two goals from Foden, but conceded goals in the final stages of the game and was tied 2-2 by Brentford. Foden said that although the team's overall condition has improved, there is still a long way to go to reach the goal.

The deadlock was not broken until the 66th minute of the second half. De Bruyne received a pass from Savio and sent a cross. Foden seized the opportunity to volley the ball, which hit the post and bounced into the net, helping Manchester City take the lead 1-0. In the 78th minute, Savio broke into the penalty area and shot but was blocked by the Brentford goalkeeper. Foden then made a supplementary shot and scored, helping Manchester City expand their lead to 2-0.

In the 82nd minute, Visa scored against Manchester City, helping Brentford to equalize the score 1-2. In the second half stoppage time, Lewis Potter assisted Nelgo to score with a header, helping Brentford to equalize the score 2-2.

In the end, Manchester City was tied 2-2 by Brentford away. After 2 wins, 2 draws and 1 loss in the last 5 rounds, Manchester City is currently ranked 6th in the standings with 35 points.

Talking about the performance in this game, the 24-year-old Manchester City midfielder Foden said, "In the last 20 minutes we looked a little tired and our steps seemed heavy. They put a lot of pressure on us and kept passing the ball into the penalty area. I think we didn't deal with the opponent's physical confrontation well in the final stage."

"This is one of the difficult away games to overcome. The opponent brought a different challenge. Their man-to-man marking, long balls and physical confrontation were all big tests. I was satisfied with the performance before 1-0, but the performance after that was a bit disappointing."

Praise De Bruyne for his perfect assist

"We let ourselves slip a bit and passed the ball too casually," Foden said. "It's an area where we need to learn from it and then focus on the next game. Fatigue could have been a factor, or just a consequence of the challenge they gave us."

"Compared to before, our condition has indeed improved and our performance is much better than before, but we still have a long way to go to achieve our goal."

In addition, when talking about the cooperation with De Bruyne, Foden shared, "We have built such a tacit understanding for many years. When I trained and played with him, I knew he had the ability to get the ball into the penalty area. The key is to run out of position and he will pass the ball to the most suitable position."

"I had a great understanding with De Bruyne on the pitch and he gave me a perfect ball and I just had to put it in and I was happy to see it go in."