No more excuses, Pep - fearless Foden ready for Man City leading role

The academy graduate scored twice in a superb all-round performance against Burnley to again show why he should soon become a regular starter Match-by-match, week-by-week, Phil Foden is giving Pep Guardiola absolute no alternative - he is ready to be Manchester City's homegrown superstar.

Two more goals and a decisive performance full of creativity and spark helped cut open a Burnley side that still harboured hopes of sneaking a European place heading into Monday's clash. It also keeps the title race alive, at least for a couple more days anyway.

Guardiola has tried holding academy graduate Foden back, warning him that there are no free passes into his starting line-up. The Catalan has told the youngster he has to earn his place, and that means competing with Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva for a starting spot - matching their quality, energy and consistency. The City boss keeps pushing the 20-year-old for more, and Foden keeps responding.

On Wednesday, Foden started on the bench for City's first match of the Premier League's 'Project Restart' as they recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over Arsenal. The midfielder, though, was still able to make an impact with a dynamic cameo while rounding off the scoring following a move he started on the edge of his own box.

Against Burnley he started, with Guardiola having the luxury of being able to make eight changes to his line-up on the same night his opposite number, Sean Dyche, could not fill his own substitutes' bench due to a combination of injuries and contractual issues.

Despite that, the Clarets boss set up his side to be typically defiant, and City had barely created an opportunity until Foden opened the scoring from 25 yards with a clinical low finish from the edge of the box midway through the first half.

With defenders and midfielders massed in the penalty box, Foden, who celebrated his birthday during the period of lockdown, took responsibility. Rather than swiping over a cross, he produced a finish of confidence and precision expected from the world's top players.