Phil Foden asserts that he has yet to reach his peak performance despite a stunning hat-trick in Manchester City's 5-1 victory over AEK Athens in the Champions League on Tuesday.

This match marked a significant return for Foden, who had been absent from the scoresheet since December, following a suspension from a red card received in last month’s Manchester derby. He expressed his delight at scoring again, stating, "I’m delighted to score goals now. It can only do good for the confidence."

Foden emphasized his ongoing journey toward improvement:

I’ve still got a long way to go but I’m going in the right direction. I just want to keep working hard and trying to do my best for the manager and for the team.

The game was a welcome change from the recent turmoil surrounding the club, following a guilty verdict that created a tense atmosphere in previous matches against Liverpool and Paris St Germain. However, City displayed resilience, making eight changes from the weekend lineup and managing to regain momentum in their Champions League campaign after a loss to PSG.

The scoring started with Elliot Anderson netting his first goal for the club, followed by Foden's contributions, which included a setup for Rayan Cherki. Foden shifted from the right wing to a false nine position, sealing his hat-trick with two late goals.

Notably, top scorer Erling Haaland remained on the bench due to a sore foot. Foden remarked on the team's performance, saying, "We spoke about bouncing back from PSG... It’s important to keep putting points on the board and we’ve done that."

He acknowledged the challenges faced during the match, particularly at the start of the second half, but praised the squad's determination and talent as they improved towards the end.