What Jack Grealish told Phil Foden after Man City hat-trick speaks volumes

Phil Foden produced another sparkling performance as Manchester City beat Aston Villa 4-1 to keep pace with Premier League title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool.

Rodri gave City the lead after just 11 but his early opener was cancelled out by Jhon Duran. Foden restored the hosts' lead just before half time from a free-kick. In the absence of Kevin De Bruyne, Foden began picking up space in central positions with his second goal a sweeping effort from inside the box.

With the points all but wrapped up for the reigning champions, Foden put the gloss on the victory by sealing his hat-trick with a thumping left-footed strike. As the 23-year-old danced his way through the Villa midfield, he fell under the challenge of Clement Lenglet only to get back up immediately, win possession back and then thump an effort into the top corner as he was falling.

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With that as his second hat-trick in the Premier League this season, superlatives to describe him are running dangerously low with the man himself making a huge admission about his favoured position after the game. "I see myself as a really technical player and in the pockets," he told TNT Sport.

"I think out wide I can do that job, but I think I prefer being in the middle. I think this year I am growing into the game. The manager spoke on showing rhythm and slowing the game down, so I think I have added that to my game now."

Foden is certainly use to scoring from outside the box, however it was a surprise when lined up to take a free-kick especially with Julian Alvarez on the