England attacking midfielder, Phil Foden, netted three (3) times as dominant Manchester City cruised past AEK Athens 5-1 in the Uefa Champions League 2026/27 League Phase match at Etihad Stadium on Tuesday 20 October, 2026.
The victory was the second for Enzo Maresca’s City in the competition after losing 4-2 to defending champions, Paris Saint-Germaine (PSG), in their previous game.
Despite leaving Erling Braut Haaland to warm the bench, the Premier League side still went ahead to win the contest easily.
Foden’s goal, four (4) in total, are coming after the player had to wait ten (10) Months before registering his name on the score sheet. Three (3) against the Greek Super League side and one (1) against Ipswich Town last weekend.
The quality from Manchester City was way too much for AEK Athens to challenge, with Floyd Samba, 17-year old forward, in charge of Haaland’s position in the game.
English midfielder, Elliot Anderson, opened the floodgates of goals for the Cityzens in the 12th minute; and Rico Lewis provided for Foden who added the second in the 34th minute.
The Greek visitors who were unable to record a shot on target until the 52nd minute, pulled one goal back through Stavros Pilios, but, it was not able to ignite anything close to a comeback on Tuesday night.
Pilios’ goal only forced the Cityzens to feel a strong sense of rage, and, in the 57th minute, goalscorer, Foden, turned provider, and supplied Rayan Cherki, who netted the third for the home side.
The game was sealed when Foden completed his hat-trick with the fourth and fifth goals for City in the 65th and 76th minutes; the last time, the Englishman found the back of the net thrice in a game was under former head coach, Pep Guardiola, in 2024.
The outcome leaves Manchester City on the 6th spot with six (6) points, while, AEK Athens are 27th with three (3) points.
For his beautiful contribution to Manchester City’s triumph over AEK Athens, Phil Foden was handed the Player Of The Match award.
Phil Foden’s post-hat-trick reaction
Speaking to TNT Sports, Foden said, he “enjoyed” every moment of the showdown as he hailed his team for displaying “determination” against their Greek top flight opponents.
He said, he still needs to “work hard” for the manager, as well as, the team.
Foden reacted: “I enjoyed that a lot. We showed determination again; it wasn’t pretty at times, giving sloppy passes away, but I thought we stuck at the game plan, we kept going, and in the end we broke them down.
“I’ve still got a long way [before I’m back at my best], but I’m going in the right direction and scoring along the way. It definitely helps.
“I just want to keep working hard and trying to be the best I can for the manager and for the team.”
