Foden stars as Man City beat Huddersfield to progress

Phil Foden scored his second goal of the season for Manchester City

Phil Foden scored one and provided the assist for the second to help Manchester City battle past League One Huddersfield Town and reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Pep Guardiola's side are on a run of six games in the space of 18 days in three different competitions and required the contributions of England international Foden to advance in the competition.

Foden broke the deadlock on 18 minutes by drilling an unerring finish low into the corner following a quick give-and-go with teenage debutant Divine Mukasa.

The 25-year-old was full of confidence, spraying delightful passes around the pitch, and could have doubled his tally but curled a 25-yard free-kick over the crossbar.

The hosts had openings in the first half when the ball dropped nicely for Zepiqueno Redmond on the edge of the area, but the on-loan Aston Villa forward blazed his effort over, while captain Ben Wiles dragged wide from a promising position.

But City continued to patiently work openings in the second half and got their reward 16 minutes from time when Foden squeezed out a pass to Savinho, who smashed home a finish via the underside of the crossbar.

Town could have pulled a goal back late on but Cameron Ashia's sublime curling effort rattled the inside of the post, allowing City goalkeeper James Trafford to maintain a clean sheet on his return to the side.

City have been drawn away at Championship side Swansea in the fourth round.

Analysis: Foden returning towards his best

There was a time when City were perennial winners in this competition, lifting the trophy four times on the trot having embarked on a run of winning a remarkable 21 consecutive ties between 2017 and 2021.

But it has been less kind to them recently, being knocked out at the fourth and third round stages in the last two seasons.

On Wednesday night, there were some scares for City to overcome, including Town hitting the post, but they were ultimately in control for the majority of the contest and goals in each half helped them through.

Guardiola's tactics at Arsenal on Sunday were questioned when his side had their lowest average possession since he took charge, but his side reverted to type with 76% of the ball in West Yorkshire, with 68 touches inside the opposition area.

Despite the numbers, City could only score twice with Savinho dragging wide before scoring, Nico O'Reilly's chipped effort being clawed out by Lee Nicholls and Mukasa's strike on the spin straight at the home goalkeeper.

At the heart of City's victory was the fantastic Foden, who looks to be returning to his best form by playing with the sort of freedom that earned him the Premier League Player of the Season and the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2024.

The goal he scored bore all the trademarks of a player who was sharp and needed no thinking time, trapping Mukasa's pass before giving Nicholls no chance with his finish.

Foden was replaced immediately after providing the second goal as Guardiola gave debuts to Reigan and Jaden Heskey, the sons of former Liverpool and England striker Emile.

There was also a return to the team for forgotten midfielder Kalvin Phillips, appearing for the final seven minutes for the first time in a City shirt since 19 December 2023 at the Club World Cup.