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Several fans have reacted to Phil Foden starting as a false nine in Manchester City's EFL Cup Round 3 clash against Watford at the Etihad Stadium on September 24. The Hornets outclassed MK Dons and Plymouth Argyle in the first two rounds while Pep Guardiola's men are set to kickstart their new EFL Cup campaign.
One of Guardiola's most potent tricks is the utilization of a false nine. False nine is a tactical position in which a center forward often drops into the midfield instead of waiting inside the opponent's penalty box. This confuses the opposition's defense, creating space for other attackers and also helping in the team's link-up play.
The Spanish tactician famously used Lionel Messi as a false nine during his tenure in Barcelona. At Manchester City, he has used Phil Foden in that position at times. The English attacker is good with the ball with impressive ball distribution skills and the ability to dribble past opponents - key attributes required in a typical false nine.
Since Foden has featured in just three games for Pep Guardiola's men this season, fans expected the Englishman to find his mojo back against Watford. Some popular comments on X are as follows:
"Foden about to have a generational game," wrote a fan on X.
"Strong team false 9 Foden is gonna be fun," agreed another.
"Foden false 9 is back," lauded another fan on X.
A Manchester City fan predicted Phil Foden to score a hat-trick against Watford, writing:
"Phil Foden hatrick, I have called it first"
"Foden false 9 we are cooking," wrote another netizen.
"So Phil Foden is Haaland’s backup this season? Interesting!" opined another fan on X.
Pep Guardiola has paired Foden with Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku in the attack against Watford. In the midfield, the Spaniard went with Nico O'Reilly, Matheus Nunes, and James McAtee. The backline consisted of Kyle Walker, John Stones, Kaden Braithwaite, and Rico Lewis with Stefan Ortega in between the sticks.
A look at some key statistics before Manchester City's clash with Watford
Manchester City have played a total of 33 games against Watford, winning 22. The Hornets, meanwhile, have outclassed them on six occasions and five have ended in a draw. Watford have struggled against Pep Guardiola's men lately, having not registered a single win in their last 20 clashes against the home side.
Guardiola's men have netted a total of 26 goals while letting in just two in their last five matches against The Hornets across competitions. Furthermore, they have scored at least two goals in each of the last 15 games against the visitors.
Manchester City are in excellent form this season, leading the Premier League charts with four wins and one draw. Their only draw came in their last Premier League game against Arsenal at the Etihad on September 22.
However, they had a disastrous EFL Cup campaign last season, getting kicked out by Newcastle United in the third round - their first EFL game of the season. They haven't won the competition since the 2020-21 campaign and will be hopeful for a victory against Watford.
