Manchester City responded emphatically to their recent Champions League disappointment, sweeping aside AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday night as Phil Foden produced a sensational hat-trick to lead the English side to a commanding victory.
Foden was the undisputed star of the evening, scoring twice before the break and completing his treble in the second half. Elliot Anderson opened the scoring with his first goal for the club, while Rayan Cherki added a moment of individual brilliance to help City secure an impressive European victory.
AEK briefly threatened to make things uncomfortable when Stavros Pilios pulled a goal back early in the second half, but City responded almost immediately through Cherki before Foden struck twice more to complete the rout.
The result provided a timely boost for manager Enzo Maresca, whose team had been looking to recover from their previous Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
City started on the front foot, although AEK initially showed that they were not prepared to be intimidated by the occasion. Kervin Arriaga fired over during an early attacking move as the Greek visitors attempted to exploit spaces in the home side’s defence.
However, the opening goal arrived in the 12th minute, albeit in unusual circumstances.
Enzo Fernández stepped up to take a free-kick after Floyd Samba was fouled just outside the penalty area. The Argentine midfielder struck the ball against the crossbar, but the rebound fell perfectly for Anderson, who reacted quickly to fire into the unguarded net.
The goal gave City a deserved 1-0 lead and marked Anderson’s first goal for the club. Although Fernández had come agonisingly close to scoring directly from the set-piece, Anderson’s alertness ensured the rebound was not wasted.
City continued to press, with Brazilian winger Allan providing one of the most entertaining moments of the opening half. The youngster drove forward down the left, cut inside and unleashed a powerful shot that struck the woodwork before flying away from danger.
It was a warning that City’s attacking threat extended well beyond their established stars, and Allan continued to trouble the visitors with his direct running.
The home side doubled their advantage in the 34th minute through Foden, who finished a well-constructed attacking move involving fellow academy graduate Rico Lewis.
Lewis advanced down the right and combined effectively with Foden before the England international finished confidently, lifting the ball over AEK goalkeeper Alberto Brignoli to make it 2-0.
It was a beautifully executed goal that highlighted the understanding between the two City academy products. Lewis’s movement created the opening, while Foden demonstrated the composure that has made him one of the club’s most important attacking players.
City went into half-time with a comfortable two-goal advantage, but AEK returned with renewed determination and briefly threatened to change the direction of the contest.
In the 52nd minute, the visitors reduced the deficit through Pilios, who finished a swift counterattacking move to make it 2-1.
Substitute Zini accelerated down the left flank before cutting the ball back into the penalty area. Pilios collected the pass, moved into a shooting position and drove a powerful low effort beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma into the far corner.
The goal gave AEK renewed hope and momentarily raised the prospect of a tense finish at the Etihad.
However, City’s response was immediate.
In the 57th minute, Cherki restored the two-goal cushion with an outstanding individual finish. Receiving the ball near the edge of the penalty area, the French playmaker used a clever touch to wrong-foot his marker before shifting the ball onto his left foot and driving a precise shot into the net.
The goal made it 3-1 and demonstrated Cherki’s technical quality in tight spaces. His composure under pressure left the AEK defence struggling to react, while City’s quick response prevented the visitors from building momentum after their breakthrough.
Foden then extended City’s lead in the 65th minute, scoring his second goal of the night.
Cherki initiated the move with an excellent pass that released Lewis into space. The full-back brought the ball under control and laid it off for Foden, who finished confidently into the roof of the net to make it 4-1.
The move was a demonstration of City’s attacking fluidity, with Cherki’s vision, Lewis’s movement and Foden’s finishing combining to produce another goal.
Foden was not finished.
In the 76th minute, the England international completed his hat-trick after substitute Ryan McAidoo delivered a low cross from the right. Foden arrived in the six-yard box at precisely the right moment and turned the ball into the net to seal the 5-1 victory.
It was a fitting conclusion to an outstanding individual performance. Foden had scored from close range in the first half, produced a composed finish after combining with Lewis and then demonstrated his instincts inside the penalty area to complete his treble.
The hat-trick also marked a significant personal milestone for the midfielder, who had recently returned to scoring form after a frustrating period on the sidelines.
City continued to control the closing stages, with Maresca taking the opportunity to introduce fresh legs and give opportunities to younger players. Seventeen-year-old Floyd Samba, who started in the absence of Erling Haaland, gained valuable experience on his Champions League debut.
Haaland remained on the bench, while Antoine Semenyo was unavailable because of injury, making the performance of City’s alternative attacking options particularly encouraging.
Although AEK had their moments, particularly through Pilios’s goal, they struggled to match City’s quality over the full 90 minutes.
The crossbar incident from Fernández’s free-kick, Allan’s effort against the woodwork and Foden’s clinical finishing provided some of the evening’s most memorable moments, while Donnarumma and Brignoli were both required to remain alert during periods of pressure.
Ultimately, the difference between the sides was City’s ability to turn promising attacking situations into goals. Anderson’s opener established the advantage, Foden’s first strike doubled it, and Cherki’s response after AEK scored ensured there would be no comeback.
For City, the 5-1 victory was more than a convincing result. It was an important response to their previous European setback and a reminder of the attacking depth available to Maresca.
Foden took centre stage with a superb hat-trick, but Anderson, Cherki, Lewis and McAidoo all made valuable contributions to an evening that ended with the Etihad celebrating a commanding Champions League performance.
