Phil Foden hat-trick leads Manchester City to 5-1 win over AEK Athens
Foden scored three times and set up another goal as City recovered from last week's defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Manchester City beat AEK Athens 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium on 20 October 2026, with Phil Foden scoring a hat-trick and setting up another goal. The Champions League win followed City's defeat by Paris Saint-Germain the previous week and left them with two victories from their first three league phase matches.
Elliot Anderson opened the scoring in the 12th minute, reacting after an Enzo Fernández free kick struck the crossbar. It was Anderson's first goal for City since joining in the summer, according to the club. Foden doubled the lead in the 34th minute after combining with Rico Lewis down the right.
How Foden completed his Champions League hat-trick
AEK cut the deficit to 2-1 after halftime. Zine got past Abdukodir Khusanov on the left and found Stavros Pilios, who scored in the 52nd minute. City responded five minutes later when Foden picked up a loose ball near the penalty area and passed to Rayan Cherki, who cut inside and scored to restore the two-goal margin.
Cherki then sent a diagonal ball to Lewis, whose cushioned pass gave Foden the chance to score City's fourth goal in the 65th minute. In the 76th, teenage substitute Ryan McAidoo reached the byline and crossed for Foden to finish from close range, completing his first Champions League hat-trick. The club said it was his fourth hat-trick for City in all competitions.
City's position after three league phase matches
City said the AEK match was their 150th Champions League fixture. The result took their record in this season's league phase to two wins and one loss. The Independent reported that leading scorer Erling Haaland stayed on the bench throughout after an injury scare, with youngster Floyd Samba starting in his place. It was Samba's first Champions League start, according to City. Enzo Maresca had rotated the side for the match.
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Sources and context
- Phil Foden nets hat-trick as Man City bounce back from PSG loss with dominant win over AEK AthensThe Independent (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Manchester City 5-1 AEK Athens FC: Report, result and goals as Foden hat-trick helps hosts to easy win101 Great Goals
- Gallery: Fantastic Foden hits hat-trick!Manchester City
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.