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Phil Foden Scores Champions League Hat-Trick in City’s 5-1 Win

By Drooid · Oct 21, 2026, 11:01 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Foden Scores Hat-Trick

Phil Foden scored a Champions League hat-trick in a 5-1 win over AEK Athens on Oct 20.
He became the sixth Manchester City player to record a Champions League hat-trick, joining Aguero, Haaland, Jesus, Sterling and Negredo.
The hat-trick ended a ten-month goal drought, his first Premier League goal since December against Ipswich.
Manager Enzo Maresca praised Foden’s return, kept him in contention to start versus Aston Villa despite a recent suspension.

Summary

Manchester City Appeals

Manchester City were found guilty of breaching UEFA financial-fair-play rules.
The club is preparing an appeal against the sanction.
Attendance at the Etihad was roughly half empty during the AEK match.
Critics say the club’s off-field issues are dampening fan enthusiasm.
City’s legal team will argue the penalty undermines competitive balance in Europe.

History

Historical Context

UEFA rolled out Financial Fair Play rules for the 2011-12 season to cap club losses, a framework that later fined Manchester City €30 million in 2020 after a breach. The club now faces 115 Premier League charges and appeals the sanction while Foden’s hat-trick against AEK Athens and Maresca’s praise highlight the tension between on-field success and ongoing financial scrutiny.

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Foden Scores Hat-Trick

Phil Foden scored a Champions League hat-trick in a 5-1 win over AEK Athens on Oct 20.
He became the sixth Manchester City player to record a Champions League hat-trick, joining Aguero, Haaland, Jesus, Sterling and Negredo.
The hat-trick ended a ten-month goal drought, his first Premier League goal since December against Ipswich.
Manager Enzo Maresca praised Foden’s return, kept him in contention to start versus Aston Villa despite a recent suspension.

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