Phil Foden scored two impressive long-range goals in Manchester City's 4-1 home Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.
What happened?
Foden's first goal came in the opening 15 minutes, a low curler that found the inside netting, and his second was just as finessed, curling another finish into Gregor Kobel's bottom-right corner in the second half.
The double means Foden has scored the most goals from outside the box of any Premier League player since the start of 2023-24, with 11 goals.
Why it matters for Phil Foden
Foden's form had nosedived amid a team-wide collapse last season, but he rediscovered his shooting mojo with a 25-yarder against Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup in September.
Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, declared "Phil is back" after the match, praising Foden's confidence to score from range.
What comes next?
Erling Haaland's presence is helping create space for Foden to ghost into pockets around the penalty area, with teams petrified of giving Haaland any room to run into.
Foden is using Haaland as a reference point, occupying the space just off his front man and taking advantage of the space created by Haaland's runs.
And with Foden's precision and skill on full display, Manchester City will be looking to build on this impressive victory.
But Foden's success is not just about his individual skill, it's also about the team's overall strategy and Haaland's role in creating space for him.
So Foden will be looking to continue his good form and help Manchester City achieve their goals in the Champions League.
The partnership between Foden and Haaland is proving to be a potent one, with Foden scoring 27 goals in all competitions in the 2023-24 season, earning him the English game's player of the year award from the Football Writers' Association.